


All The Wealth The Past Has Made: Or A Personal Account Of The Lunar New Year, 186

by OurImpavidHeroine



Series: The Abdication of Hou-Ting LIV or: How Wu Learned to Stop Being Foolish and Love the Detective [14]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Diary/Journal, Multi, Past Child Abuse, Polyamory Negotiations, Post-Canon, Post-Series, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-09-19 06:56:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 61,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9423905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OurImpavidHeroine/pseuds/OurImpavidHeroine
Summary: Fire Lord Izumi welcomes the families of her father's dearest friends for a Lunar New Year celebration at her holiday residence on Ember Island.Wu is invited along because he's royalty; naturally he details it all in his faithful diary.





	1. In Which We Leave On Time For Once

**Author's Note:**

> This story is dedicated to lovealg, who is the one that requested it. It was meant to be a ficlet; Things Happened.

Republic City (en route to Ember Island)  
Midwinter, Tigerdillo Month, 3rd Day, 185 AG

 

This will be a short entry today, Progeny. As I believe I mentioned some months past, Izumi has invited the lot of us to her holiday home on Ember Island to celebrate the New Year festivities. And by the lot of us I do mean that all and sundry Beifongs have been invited, as well as Tenzin and his extended family. Izumi said that her father had always hoped to gather all of the children of his dearest friends for one last celebration, but it is one of those things that simply did not happen due to many reasons, including the political situation at the time. More’s the pity. Of course Mako and I are not related in that way, but royalty does have its perks every once in awhile. (Naturally I offered to take the overflow at our holiday residence. It would never do to have someone staying at a hotel on the New Year! I mentioned this to Mako and he grunted at me and said, “As long as that fucking Iroh doesn’t stay with us, I don’t care.” As if he would! Of course he will stay with his mother! Honestly, what that man has against Iroh I will never know, but both Bolin and Asami have told me that he has disliked Iroh since the first moment he met him. I cannot make heads nor tails of it, especially seeing as he is always perfectly pleasant to all of us, including Mako.)

I was exceptionally pleased to get a letter from Huan letting me know that he and Ikki will be coming as well. It has simply been ages since I have seen him and as much as I would like to visit the Northern Air Temple I have refrained due to Mako’s sensitive feelings on the subject. I believe that he could get past the oldest Beifong son’s part in the destruction of Republic City (or perhaps not, when Mako holds a grudge he cradles it close to his heart like a miser hoards his gold, my gracious but that man never forgets even the most insignificant of slights) but the part where he was involved in Bolin’s being sent to one of those detestable camps and also getting blown up on a train (not that he was actually blown up, obviously he is still here with us in all of his mustachioed glory) is, insofar as Mako sees it, utterly unforgivable. It has been pointed out to him that the eldest Beifong son served his prison time uncomplainingly and is doing marvelous things to help rebuild the temple and is, according to both Huan and his mother, trying very hard indeed to redeem himself. Mako is simply not having it. He refuses to discuss the matter. The last time I tried he shouted, “He’s dead to me,” in the most histrionic way possible, that man likes to present himself as stoic but those of us who live with him know better, I can assure you! I have not, therefore, been able to bring up with Mako that Huan tells me that Ikki has embarked on a simultaneous romantic relationship with said older brother. Not that I am judging, certainly; it is none of my business and besides, I already knew about it from Nuo. (What Nuo does not know about anything is simply not worth knowing, and you may quote me on that.) I obviously do not know Ikki as well as Mako - who has known her since she was a small girl and who has a great deal of fraternal affection for her - but she strikes me as a woman who can most assuredly handle herself with aplomb. I have not forgotten that dress she wore to Bolin and Opal’s wedding. (Who could, really? Nuo and I refer to it in hushed tones as  _ The Dress _ whenever we discuss it.) A woman who has the equanimity to wear a dress like that does not need a pseudo-older brother sticking his very well made and really quite lovely nose into her business. Which one will hope that Mako remembers if Baatar Jr does happen to show up to the festivities.

In any case, our own home here has been cleaned from top to bottom and of course the staff has gotten their New Year bonuses. The ever indomitable Cork has been given charge of passing out all of the red envelopes to the street children this year for us. The taxis are coming in another hour to pick us all up; we shall meet the Republic City Beifongs at the airfield. As per our usual custom we will leave in the early evening and sleep overnight on the airship before arriving in the morning. It seems to help a bit with the changes in the time, which is dreadfully confusing. Ember Island is two hours behind us? Or is it three? I cannot make heads nor tails of it myself. It’s perfectly nonsensical. I simply stop looking at clocks altogether and it makes things so much easier that way. (Mako most strenuously disagrees with this habit of mine, as you may well imagine. Ridiculous! We are on holiday! Who is to care what time it is?)

Oh dear. As I have been writing I have become aware of a bit of a disagreement (read: shouting) on the landing because Mako has told Naoki she is coming with us and shall not be going to Ember Island on Rohan’s charmingly named Exit the air bison. I believe it is time for me to intervene before someone sets something on fire. More later.   
  


  
  


We all made it aboard the airship in a timely manner for once and are on our way. I am looking forward to better weather, that much I can tell you; as we left the skies were undecided as to whether they were sleeting or spitting down icy rain. Dreadful! The children were making a great deal of noise in the taxis as well as on the airship and I claimed a headache and retreated into one of the private cabins. Mako gave me quite a look when I said I needed to go and lie down for a bit; his exact words to me were, “You are not leaving me with all of these kids, Wu.” I told him I had said headache and beat, as they say, a hasty retreat. I do think shouting “Faker!” after me was uncalled for, however. After all, Lin disappeared as soon as she boarded and no one bellowed any defamatory remarks her way! Besides, Bolin is here with us, the children love nothing more than romping about with him. Up on the observation deck, far from this cabin, one would hope.

Wei is here as well. I detailed earlier what all I had heard about what went on up at the Northern Air Temple; I won’t write it all down again. However, he has changed. Oh, don’t mistake me; he is still the same boisterous and charismatic Wei that we all know and love. But he’s stopped, for the most part, his playboy ways. Mako approves, I know. Right before Wei left for that trip to Ba Sing Se that ended up at the Temple he arrived for dinner quite inebriated and very belligerent and Mako was the most furious I do believe I have ever seen him. Rightfully so, of course. That sort of behavior is simply unacceptable around anyone, no less the children. LoLo realized what was going on almost immediately and escorted him out of the kitchen by the scruff of his neck; I told Meili and Zhi that Uncle Wei was unwell and they are young enough to believe it, thankfully. Naoki, on the other hand, was a different story. (That was not a conversation I enjoyed having with her, let me assure you.) Mako started shouting at Wei in the backyard and Wei tried to punch him and apparently LoLo stepped in quite adroitly and gave Wei what I believe is called an upper cut? Anyhow some sort of punch to his jaw which rendered Wei instantly unconscious and then Mako and Qi took him home. (LoLo told me later with his usual sangfroid that it had not been the first time he had ever punched a drunken buffoon. There are apparently all sorts of interesting things you learn whilst in the Navy!)

I don’t know what to write about Qi, Progeny. Lin says that I must respect Qi’s need for privacy in order to think things through. Of course Qi is with us for dinner every day; reads to Meili as usual, practices kuai ball with Zhi and trains with Naoki. Qi drives LoLo to the market and meets Mako at the gymnasium and they do those sorts of things that one does there. 

Qi still drives me about and stays close to me when Mako or Lin cannot be with me. Qi says that no one else is to be entrusted with my safety. But it isn’t the same, Progeny. Qi has always been reserved; I have not, perhaps, always been as respectful of that as I should have been, I will admit. In these past few months, however, Qi has become distant, distracted, even impatient with me. I have tried a few times to broach the subject but Qi neatly redirects the conversation or otherwise puts me off.

I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to make it go back to what it was before. Oh Progeny, I am at such a loss.

I understand that Qi is an adult and may live wherever Qi chooses. And it is not that Qi is so far away; only at Lin’s flat. But Qi  _ promised _ me. Qi promised me that no matter what happened Qi would never leave me. Qi says that it is not a matter of leaving me; that Qi will return once Qi knows whether or not Qi wishes to marry me, regardless of what that decision is. But I cannot sleep at night for thinking about it. Mako refuses to speak to me about it, he is still so angry with me for even asking. It has been four months now that Qi has been gone.  _ Four months. _ There, now I have smudged the ink again. Well. I shall not cry. If Qi wishes, Qi may stay with Izumi and just avoid me altogether since I am such a vile and despicable person for daring to ask Qi to marry me. They may all just stay with Izumi, then. Next time I will simply stay home.

It hurts me. It hurts me so dreadfully. Everyone thinks that I am in the wrong but I only wanted to please everyone. I only wanted to please Qi and please Mako and even Nuo - Nuo! - tells me I was wrong. Even my own Nuo, who is the one person in the world I trust with all of my innermost secrets and thoughts. Even she does not support me.

Four months without Qi.

I don’t want to write any more today.  


	2. In Which Discussions Of An Uncomfortable Nature Are Had

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes people look, but they do not see.

Ember Island  
Midwinter, Tigerdillo Month, 4th Day, 185 AG  
Morning

 

Mako assumed, of course, that when I gave the directions to the taxis at the Ember Island airfield that I was taking us all to the royal residence instead of the estate across the island that we have always rented before. I was not, however! I have not mentioned it here because I wanted it to be an utter surprise and I did not want to think that anyone might spoil it by reading my diary. (Not that I am accusing Mako of doing so! Certainly not. Nor any of the other adults in my home. No, my youngest has been learning how to read and I am not as fooled by those big blue eyes as everyone else seems think I am. I have already caught her once snooping about my office. Gracious but she is a devious child. I am inordinately proud of her. She is a true Hou-Ting. I have placed my diary very high up, although I will need to purchase a lock soon, I will lay odds. Or perhaps a safe might be better. Note to self: find out about a safe.)

So you can imagine everyone’s astonishment when the taxis took us to a very delightful cottage just down the lane from Izumi’s own holiday residence that she had inherited from her father. We all disembarked and Mako glared at it suspiciously as he paid the drivers.

“What’s this place?”

“This is where we are staying,” I replied. I was so excited I was practically vibrating.

Now he was scowling. “Why aren’t we staying at the other place we always stay at?”

“Because it was a rental, my darling. Ah, there is Miwa, come to greet us.” Miwa is the very capable woman I have engaged as our head of household here. She is a bit young for the position; however, she was serving as the under-housekeeper for Izumi and came very highly recommended. Izumi did say something to me about poaching her staff, but I am reasonably sure she was joking. Or at least I hope she was. I choose to believe she was, anyhow.

I introduced Miwa to everyone and she directed the other servants to take our things in as we all followed her up the stairs and inside to the spacious entry hall. I had written ahead and told her that we would be hosting Bolin and his family as well as Wei. I would love to have Nuo here as well but it is only a cottage, after all. There are only nine bedrooms. And in any case Izumi is only three doors down. Nuo and I can sit out on the private beach that runs along the front of the homes here and gossip to our hearts’ delight.

Mako had his hands on his hips as he surveyed the room. “Wu. Did you buy this house?”

“Surprise!” I said. “It is a New Year’s surprise! I have always said I wanted a retirement home here, have I not? I had an agent keeping an eye on houses that went up for sale, which is not as easy as you may think, it’s simply incognizable the way these old Fire Nation nobles never want to let go of anything. Luckily the family that owned this one had quite a downturn in fortune and were forced to offload it. Can you imagine! How else would I have gotten such a lovely bit of property?”

“The family probably didn’t think they were all that lucky,” said Qi, peering out one of the windows to the view of the ocean beyond.

“Well, I did pay them whatever outrageous sum they were asking, did I not?” I raised one eyebrow.

“Wait, how much did this thing cost?” Mako started to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“Well, I’m sure I don’t know. You’d have to ask Masato at the bank. He dealt with all of it, naturally.”

Mako made a little noise and closed his eyes. “Wu…”

“Now darling, don’t look like that. You know that real estate is a good investment! Aren’t you always saying so?”

“Wu. People just don’t buy houses on a whim.” Mako’s fingers were giving his nose quite the manhandling.

“Well, I like that! A whim! Mako, did I not just tell you that I have been trying to snatch up a good piece of property here for years! A whim indeed!” Honestly! The things that man accuses me of sometimes! I turned to the children. “Darlings, this is our new holiday home! I bought it just for us! Now go and explore and see if you can find the rooms I had done just for the three of you!” Naoki let out with an excited yelp, grabbed her sister’s hand, and tugged her along. Zhi looked over at his cousins, however.

“But Papa, isn’t San and everybody else going to stay with us?”

“Of course they are. We have guest rooms ready for them. Miwa will show everyone where to go.”

LoLo was frowning. “Don’t tell me you’ve hired another cook.”

I shook my finger at him. “LoLo, this is your holiday as well. You are not here to cook, you are here to relax and enjoy yourself.” Lin snorted at this.

“Come on, let’s go and find the kitchen so you can give the cook the third degree,” she said, and tucked her arm into his before getting directions. Miwa took the Beifongs in hand and escorted them down the corridor to where I assumed the guest rooms were, leaving me there with Mako and Qi. Both of whom were surveying me with varying degrees of resignation (Qi) and irritability (Mako).

Just like that my effervescent mood dissipated; once again I had done the wrong thing. I don’t know if it was the heat or the fact that I have not been sleeping well or what, but without warning I burst into tears. My word! I’m still not quite sure what came over me, but there was no stopping them once they started.

“If you don’t like it then all of you may just go and stay with Izumi.” I flung my hands out, chest heaving up and down. I caught Mako and Qi exchanging a quick look, which did not help the situation at all. “I bought it nine months ago, I wanted it to be a nice surprise. I told you that I was meeting with Izumi but I was really here approving the renovations. Izumi knows, though. She was very helpful, as was Iroh.” I fumbled in my breast pocket for my handkerchief and honked right into it.

“That fucking Iroh,” muttered Mako, right on cue, and then he put a hand on my arm. “Look, don’t cry. It just wasn’t what I was expecting, that’s all.”

I flung his hand right off of me. “Well, apparently I am chock full of unexpected things that no one likes, aren’t I?” Oh, now I was really boo-hooing. “You could at least pretend to like it!”

“Wu...” said Mako, raising his hands up helplessly. He does not do well with tears, which is more than a little paradoxical for a man who so very often causes them, I must say.

“Oh, go stick your head in a cactus or something,” I sobbed, quite overcome. I wanted to run off to our bedroom but I had quite forgotten where it was located.

“All right now, that’s enough of that,” Qi said firmly, and took the already sodden hankie out of my hand to replace it with a fresh one. “It’s a beautiful house. Were these the original floors or did you have them replaced?”

I sniffled, and then honked into Qi’s handkerchief as well. “Of course I had them replaced, don’t be silly.”

“Of course you did,” said Qi, taking me into Qi’s strong arms for a hug. Oh Progeny! It has been so long since Qi has done so!

“I had a room made up for you because it was before...well, before. But you don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to.” I was leaking all over Qi’s very smart lavender jacket, which should tell you how very distraught I was, Progeny. It’s raw silk! One can only hope the laundresses can repair it.

Qi sighed. “I’ll stay here. Now who’s being silly? Come on, show us where our rooms are.”

“I can’t,” I wailed. I really was feeling overset at that moment. “I don’t remember how to get to them! Mako! You aren’t laughing at me, are you?”

“Never,” he said, and leaned down to kiss my forehead. I didn’t believe him, though.

Eventually Miwa found us and escorted us to where our bedrooms were. Oh, the bedrooms! Small, but so lovely! The cottages here are all made of teak, a wood that is native to these islands. It’s a gorgeous reddish color, gleaming softly in the sun. The homes themselves are funny little things - they have tall pointed roofs and all stand up on stilts to let the cool breeze run beneath them (and the tide, as well, if there should be a storm). Our cottage has a series of verandas along the outside of the walls on all three stories that are open to the sea breezes and large windows in every room that can be opened to let in the air and it’s quite necessary, it can get remarkably hot here. We do have a charming little garden in the back of the house that has a dining table for al fresco meals, and of course the beach is only a few steps away. There had been other properties for sale over the years that my agent had written me about, but they just simply would not do. If I am to live next to the ocean then I intend on being able to see it without anything else in the way! My favorite thing about the cottage was the conservatory, however. It is an octagonal room, completely glassed in, filled to the brim with flowers and I had furniture put in it so we could enjoy tea there. The windows on the sides can be opened; however, the glass roof cannot. I had thought of asking if I could get the plans for the clever roof Baatar Jr had designed for his parents’ solarium in Zaofu but then thought better of it. The rainstorms here quite literally come out of nowhere and I’m afraid we’d be drenched before we would be able to close the roof.

Miwa very considerately brought me cool compresses to put on my eyes - a gem! She is a gem of the first order! I shall never regret ~~poaching~~ hiring her! - and discreetly bowed herself out of the bedroom. I was developing a real headache this time, which always happens when I cry. Oh! That I could be one of those dignified people who merely shed a few sad and decorative tears. Instead my eyes puff up and my cheeks blotch and my nose goes bright red, which is unfortunate, as it already draws enough attention on its own, thank you very much. Qi took off my shoes and my cravat and jacket and made me lie down, and that kindness made me cry even more.

“Now you’re all worked up,” Qi said. “Here, put these on your eyes and quiet down.” Mako had disappeared; ostensibly to make sure everyone was settled but mostly because he hates it when I cry. I would lay my entire fortune that he was in the back garden, furiously smoking a cigarette and wishing he had stayed home.

The compresses were very lovely, I must say. Cool and smelling of something quite refreshingly herbal. (Note to self: find out what magic Miwa uses for these.)  I heard the sound of the curtains being drawn across the windows and the bed creaked as Qi settled back down next to me.

“I hate it when you’re angry at me,” I sniffled. Qi sighed.

“You know, it isn’t always about you.”

There was a small pause. “I know that.”

Qi chuckled, that dear little gritty sound that I love. “No you don’t.” Qi’s fingers started to trace small, firm circles on my temples. “I told you, I need some time alone to think about things. All kinds of things, not just involving you, believe it or not.”

“Qi-”

“No, you hush now. It’s my turn to speak for once.” Qi’s fingers lightly thumped me before going back to their massaging. “Wu, I spent the earliest years of my life just surviving. And then I came to you and Mako and I had to figure out how to become someone new. I wasn’t a street kid any longer, for one thing. And for another, you know I’ve never really been comfortable when people try to make up their minds about who or what I am.”

I was really listening, Progeny. Qi had never spoken about this kind of thing to me before.

“I know Lin thought I dressed the way I did because I didn’t want people to think I was a girl. We talked about it.”

“You did?” I was more surprised than perhaps I should have been, knowing Lin and her forthright ways.

“We did. But it wasn’t that. It wasn’t about me trying to get people to believe I was a boy or anything like that. The truth of it is that none of it ever felt quite right to me. I didn’t know how to make sense of it, either. It wasn’t like I what I had seen with others.”

“Others?”

Qi shifted a bit on the bed and Qi’s fingers left my temples. I heard the sound of Qi’s jacket being taken off. “Mmmm. For example, when I was a child I knew someone who had a man’s parts, but insisted she was a woman.”

“Oh, one of the Dai Li was like that as well,” I said. I settled the compresses more firmly over my eyes.

“Really?”

“Yes, Shan. I always knew him as a man; however, I was sneaking about once and saw him with the other Dai Li in the baths and realized his body was different than the other men. As a child I thought nothing of it; all of the Dai Li were male, so naturally Shan had to be as well. I suppose children don’t question these things, for the most part. It’s how I always assumed things were with you.”

Qi was quiet for a moment. “No, it’s not like that. I don’t think of myself as only a man, or only a woman, either. I guess it comes down to not feeling like I’m either a man or a woman the way that everyone else wants to explain it. It’s confusing, you know? For years I thought if I had a man’s usual parts you’d want me, though, and that made me hate myself. More than a little.”

“Oh, Qi,” I said, and the tears started up again. I fumbled blindly for Qi’s hand. “I’m sorry, I-”

Qi took my hand in Qi’s. “No, don’t cry. Don’t be sorry. You are who you are, just like I am who I am. People can’t help who they want. I know you love me even if it isn’t the kind of love I was hoping for.” Qi sighed. “This is some of what I’ve been trying to work out, okay?”

“Do you still hate yourself?” I asked, my voice hitching up.

“Outside of my feelings for you? No, not really. My body does what I need it to. It’s strong and capable, and I try to take good care of it. I don’t want to wake up with different parts or anything, I’m not like that woman I told you about. It’s not about my body.” Qi was quiet for a moment and then those strong fingers started massaging at my temples again. “It’s more about how people see me, how they think of me, of how they expect me to behave. How I think about myself, too. It’s not black and white for me like it is for most people, it never has been. Some days I feel like a man, and some days I feel like a woman, and some days I feel like both and there are even some days where I don’t feel like either thing at all.”

“I’m trying to understand but I’m not sure if I am following you. I’m sorry, Qi.”

“Sometimes I don’t even understand it myself, so I don’t expect you to, believe me. I know it’s confusing.” Qi’s fingers kept soothing me. “But if I dressed in skirts or whatever then people assumed I was only a girl and that part I didn’t like. It felt like I was lying. So for years I dressed in a way that made people think I was a boy, and it made me feel like I was calling the shots, I guess.” Qi gave a little huff of laughter and tsked. “But when I was doing that photoshoot for Sassy Magazine and they did all of those things to me, put on all of that makeup and such, that made me feel powerful as well. It made me feel like I was in control of how people saw me, instead of letting other people control how I thought of myself, if that makes any sense at all. I really liked it. I even went out and bought myself some makeup, practiced putting it on in private. I like the way it makes me look. I’ve even been growing my hair out a little.”

“It’s very fetching.” I had noticed Qi’s hair, but had not said anything. I have been so unsure, these past few months, of what I should or shouldn’t talk about.

“Yeah. I’m trying to figure it all out, I told you. I guess what it comes down to is that I’m trying to get comfortable with feeling like me. It doesn’t help that pretty much every single person around me wants me to pick a side, so to speak. That part of it frustrates me, makes me angry, too, if I’m honest.”

“Oh, Qi, if I have ever made you feel that way, I am so very sorry. So deeply sorry.” I tried to take the compresses off of my eyes and sit up, but Qi gently pushed me back down.

“Well, you did, but not because of anything you did or said. If anything, you’ve always been respectful of me.” I could hear the smile in Qi’s voice. “You’ve always gone after anyone who tried to buttonhole me or make me feel ashamed. Mako too, in his own way. He once tossed a guy who was giving me a hard time through a bar window, for the love of Raava.”

My mouth dropped open and I was rendered quite speechless. I imagine I was gaping like a koi. Qi just laughed again, though, and closed my mouth for me.

“His temper plus a few glasses of whiskey is a pretty potent combination. You know how he gets when he thinks anyone is coming for the people he considers his.”

“That is certainly not a story I have heard before!”

Another kiss on my temple. “Sometimes Mako and I go places that aren't meant for you. Don’t take it the wrong way. After all, don’t I like going to parties with you? You know Mako only goes under protest. He hates them.”

“I know he does. And you know I never mind if the two of you go out together. I just wasn’t aware that there was people tossing going on.” We were silent for a time. “And this is what you have been thinking about?”

“Yeah. Among other things, too. I really was angry with you for how you asked me to marry you, you know.”

“Qi-” Qi’s fingers pressed firmly across my mouth, keeping my protests inside.

“No. I need to tell you this and I need you to listen, okay? For one thing, my sex life is not yours to own or control. I will sleep with who I choose to sleep with, and that includes your husband. I’m an adult now, Wu. I don’t need your permission for that.” Qi’s soft voice had taken on an edge of anger. “Don’t get me wrong, I know Mako is your husband and that sleeping with him would mean trouble for all of us. I’m many things, but I’m not a fool. But I still don’t need your royal dispensation for it. You might be a prince, but you don’t own Mako and you don’t own me. Do you understand what I am saying to you?”

“Yes.” I snuffled. A handkerchief was pressed into my hand.

“I hope you do. And for another, I really take offense at how you just assumed that me marrying you would solve everyone’s problems and we’d all live happily ever after. I know that’s how you were raised to think, and that I don’t blame you for. But you don’t live in the palace any more. You should know better by now. Royalty isn’t a cure-all, Wu.”

“Well, now you are just being insulting.” I tried to turn my head away but Qi grabbed my chin, startling me.

“No, I’m not. You might not like what I’m saying to you, but I’m not insulting you. You did think that, you know it as well as I do. You asked me to marry you because you’d be able to prove to yourself - and everyone else, too, but mostly yourself - that the attraction your husband and I feel for each other was somehow under your control.”

I opened my mouth. Then I shut it again. Then my chin started wobbling.

“I don’t want to marry you because of that, Wu. For that matter, if it’s only about attraction then it’s Mako who should take on a second spouse, not you.”

“No! He can’t do that!” I sat up and the compresses tumbled down from my eyes. Qi was sitting next to me in the gloom behind the curtains, mouth set into a grim line.

“Why, because you’re the prince? Because everything is supposed to revolve around you like bees revolve around a flower? It’s not illegal in the United Republic, you know. Mako could legally marry me.”

“Now you’re just being cruel,” I sobbed. Qi really was hurting my feelings, Progeny! Altogether dreadfully!

“No, I’m being truthful, and you don’t like it because you don’t want to hear the truth unless it’s the truth you’re comfortable with.” Qi’s head shook and Qi’s arms crossed over Qi’s chest. “I love you, you know I do. You know it! But I’m not going to just keep my mouth shut like Mako does to keep the peace, and I would think after all these years you’d understand that about me. If you marry me, then you have to know that I will always speak my mind. My worry is that I don’t think you’re ready for what that would really mean for the both of us.” Qi took a deep breath and put a hand on my chest. “Wu, you need to think about what being married to me - to Qi, to the person I really am, not the person you expect a royal consort to be - would be like. Because you haven’t thought about it, not really.” I opened my mouth to protest, but the look in Qi’s eyes silenced me. Qi leaned closer to me. “The King asked his driver to marry him, and the King expected his driver to not only say yes, but to be grateful for the honor. But that’s the thing. I don’t want to be your driver, marrying the King. I sure as shit don’t want to feel grateful for being asked. I need to be Qi, asked as an equal, as someone who is loved, as someone who is needed for who they are, not who they should be. It’s the only way I could ever say yes. So until it’s Wu asking me for me then my answer has to be no.”

Oh Progeny. I cannot even begin to tell you how much Qi’s words devastated me. I know that I have a slight tendency towards the melodramatic; however, you must believe me when I tell you that it quite genuinely hurt me more deeply than I had ever been hurt before. I sobbed and sobbed, my face in my hands, rocking back and forth on the bed in my distress. Qi sat near to me, but let me be. I didn’t even hear the bedroom door open, but the bed creaked and sagged on the opposite side and then Mako was there, pressing himself along my back.

“I take it you were talking about the whole wedding thing?” He sounded weary.

“It had to be done.” Qi was slightly defensive.

“I know.” Mako sighed and then put his arms around me. “Come on, you know we all love you.” I didn’t say anything, just kept crying. I don’t believe I could have said anything at that point, I am rather embarrassed to note, Progeny. I was not quite in control of all of my faculties. Mako let this continue for a bit but then took a deep breath. “Okay, this needs to stop now before he makes himself sick.” With that he slid off the bed and took me with him, carrying me into the bathroom, although I was hardly registering it at the time, I was so overwrought. He stood me up in the shower and turned the cold water on me. I screamed; well, you would have too, I’m sure! It was shocking! But it did the trick, however; I was indeed so shocked that I stopped crying and tried to scramble right out of there. Mako may not be the most sensitive person in the world, but he does know how to jolt one out of a mood, I will give him that. He was unimpressed with my sputtering and scrambling, however, and just picked me right up the way he does with the children when they are distraught, sitting down on the toilet with me in his lap. “That’s better. You need to calm down.”

Qi came into the bathroom and perched on the counter, face concerned. “Sorry. That wasn’t what I was going for.”

Mako just sighed again. “You owe me a whiskey for this.” Qi nodded and then reached out to gently push back my dripping hair.

“Sorry,” I managed to get out. “I think I’m better now.”

“Shower then nap,” Mako said firmly. “I’ll supervise.” I knew better than to try to argue with him when he looked like that. He glanced over at Qi. “You go on out and tell the kids the heat got to him. Last I saw them they were in the dining room, sorting out all of the decorations with Bolin and Wei. Opal was putting the baby down and I think LoLo’s still grilling the chef.”

“Where’s the dining room?”

“Take a right out of here, go to the end of the hall, down the stairs, and straight ahead. Can’t miss it.”

Qi leaned forward and kissed my cheek before leaving. I rested my head against Mako’s chest for a time, trying not to start crying again.

“So do you hate me too?”

“Knock it off, you know damn well I don’t hate you.” He gave me a little shake. “And neither does Qi. If Qi hated you Qi would just walk away, and you know that, too.” He pushed me away from him and gave me the same sort of stern look he gives the children when they are trying to get away with some naughtiness. “Maybe you could try thinking about somebody else for a minute. Do you think it’s easy for Qi to talk to you about these things? You were the one who kept telling your servant that they were part of the family. Did you ever stop to think about what that would mean?” He tilted my chin up. “Don’t bother answering that, because you didn’t.”

“You certainly have never had any problems speaking your mind! Not from the first day!” Oh, I loathe it when Mako scolds me! And you may believe that he has always felt perfectly free to do so. He actually gave a little snort of laughter at me, however.

“Wu, the whole reason Lin put me to work for you is because she knew I wasn’t going to let you boss me around. I have been a lot of different things to you, but being your servant was never one of them. I had nothing to prove to you when I came to work for you. If you had fired me the way you had fired the rest of the bodyguards who had come before me it wouldn’t have mattered, I just would have gone back to my work as a cop. I was a grown man, I had my own place, money in the bank. I didn’t need you for any of that.” He gazed at me expectantly and I rolled my eyes at him.

“Fine. And Qi wasn’t grown and did rely on me for everything.” The look of disappointment on Mako’s face made me squirm unexpectedly.

“Qi was just a breath away from starving when you brought Qi home. Don’t you remember how angry and defensive Qi was? How desperate to please you? LoLo used to say that Qi was a little wild thing that needed to be gentled.” He scoffed. “Even Lin took care of Qi, took Qi to learn to fight properly with Yumi so that Qi could learn to let go of all of that fear that was tearing Qi apart. It was years before I could get Qi to trust me, to see me as anything more than a rival for your attention and affection. You were there, Wu. You just weren’t paying attention.”

“I...I don’t…” Progeny, I had no idea what to say. Of course Mako was right. And I suppose I had noticed these things. I had not really thought of them, however. Coming to this realization was making me feel very discomfited indeed.

Mako leaned over and sighed into my hair. “Come on, pull yourself together. It’s New Year’s Eve and we’ve got a full day ahead of us. Take a shower and lay down for a half hour. The kids are excited about decorating the house and I’m guessing the Zaofu Beifongs are probably going to show up at any minute. You know if you aren’t downstairs Nuo will come after you like a shirshu on the hunt.” Mako snorted a little. “That woman has no boundaries where you are concerned.”

“I suppose not. I do love her, nevertheless.” I sat for a moment, safe in his arms. “Did you really need to douse my hair, though? How on earth am I to repair it in this kind of humidity?”

“The amount of yuan you pay for that pomade, it should just do your hair itself.” He was smiling as he said it, though.

“Oh, Mako. Why on earth do you put up with me?” I looked up at him and he tenderly kissed the end of my nose.

“Wu, I don’t even want to think about a life without you in it. Now quit fishing for compliments and get in the shower.”


	3. In Which The Rest Of The Family Arrives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decorations are made; the Zaofu Beifongs arrive.

Ember Island  
Midwinter, Tigerdillo Month, 4th Day, 185 AG  
Afternoon

 

Once I had rested and endeavored to repair my hair (in all other respects I am completely enamored of Ember Island; however, I cannot endorse the effect the humidity has on those of us whose hair tends towards undulation) I attempted to find the dining room. Alas! I ended up on a veranda on the wrong side of the cottage; happily for me a servant happened to be passing by and I flagged him down and asked for an escort. I tried to engage him in a bit of friendly conversation but he simply goggled at me and kept bowing and trying to get behind me which was quite bothersome as he was the one who knew where we were going, not me! What did he think I was going to do, dismiss him? Smite him with my unruly coiffure? Although I suppose one cannot blame him for that. It is rather _exuberant_ , I am deeply sorry to say.

Note to self: mention to Miwa that there is such a thing as too much deference among her staff.

The dining room was utter chaos by the time I got there. There were red and gold New Year decorations scattered across nearly every surface; I had told Miwa that there was no such thing as too many fripperies for this family and to purchase at will and put it all on my account. She had quite outdone herself, I am extremely pleased to note. (There! You see! I knew she was just perfect!) The children called for me as soon as they spotted me; Naoki and San were quite covered with glitter (some incident with a tightly contested and subsequently broken jar, I am to understand) and Zhi had a smear of gold paint across the pale freckles he sports on his nose. (Meili, of course, looked neat as a button as she always does, my precious girl.) Bu was too excited to do much of anything but flit around, prattling on in his excitement. Mako had set Pearl up on the veranda outside the dining room and under his watchful eye she was quite happily using her fingers to smear paint all over a banner of her own. LoLo and Lin and Opal were putting lanterns together, chatting and occasionally stepping in when the children were getting a little too rambunctious. I saw no sign of Qi, Wei or Bolin but Lin pointed them out in the garden; they had taken off their jackets and rolled up their shirtsleeves and were doing something that involved hammering and sawing, of all things. The noise, as you can imagine, was considerable.

I had promised the children that I would do the spring couplet calligraphy for our collective family’s New Year wishes, and so I cleared a space on the table, removed my own jacket, took up my brush and began. First up was Pearl; when I asked her wishes for the New Year she said _apple_. I am reasonably certain she meant for herself rather than for the rest of us (as was LoLo, who went to go and fetch her one); nevertheless I dutifully inscribed it on the parchment. Bu wanted everyone to be happy; Meili wished that no one would get sick; Zhi hoped that everyone would learn something completely new; San declared that it would be best if poor people had more money. I smiled up at my eldest.

“And what is your New Year wish, my darling?”

She met my eyes. “I want you and Daddy and Qi to stop fighting.”

My heart sank. “Oh Naoki, we aren’t fighting.”

Her eyes filled up with tears, a very rare occurrence indeed. “I know you’re just saying that. Maybe Zhi and Meili are too little to know what’s going on, but I’m not. I’m not stupid, Papa. I know you’re fighting. If you weren’t fighting, then Qi would come home to us.”

I put my brush down and gathered her close, my arm around her waist. “Dearest, it isn’t as simple as that.”

That little chin of hers jutted out stubbornly. “That’s my wish, Papa. You asked and now I told you. Are you going to write it down or not?”

“Naoki…” I pulled her down to sit on my knee. Gracious me, but she is getting taller all the time. She’ll be twelve this coming midsummer; it makes me want to cry when I start to think about it. How does it go so fast? Sometimes I feel like time is just running away from us, and never so much as when I look at my own little Butterfly, growing up. She wrapped her arms around me and pressed her face into my neck.

“Please, Papa,” she whispered. “Please. I just want Qi to come home.” I raised my suddenly trembling fingers to stroke back her hair.

“Darling, we have to respect Qi’s decisions. I know it’s hard to understand, but this time away is important for Qi. Necessary.” And yes, before you think it, I was aware of what a hypocrite I was being, Progeny. Sometimes, you know, parenting is saying what you _should_ instead of saying what you _want_. Quite often, in fact. A small sob escaped her and I tightened my arms. “I tell you what we’ll do. I’ll put that your wish is for all fighting to end. Will that suffice?”

“It’s not the same,” she sniffled into me.

“I know, but I think writing otherwise would make Qi feel uncomfortable and quite guilty, and I don’t think we want to do that, do we?”

“Yes we do!” cried my own hot-headed girl. I had to fight back a smile.

“Butterfly, it’s the New Year. Do we really want to make anyone feel awful tonight? Especially someone we love as much as Qi?”

A small pause; then, “No.”

I kissed the crown of her head and spoke very quietly into her ear. “I will write all fighting to end but you and I will know what it really means. All right?” She nodded into my neck. I hugged her tightly before patting her on the back. “Now then...why, Naoki Hou-Ting! Is that gold glitter I see on my shirt! Did you just spread your glitter on me?”

She leapt off my lap with a giggle. “It brings out your eyes,” she said in the very cheekiest way possible and then scampered away as I made an outraged face at her.

It was at this point that the noise level burgeoned exponentially; Miwa came in the door, bowed, and announced that the Zaofu Beifongs had arrived. In they all trooped, led by a determined Iris, who scanned the room for Zhi and promptly made her way right over to him. Zhi, I am rather amused to report, dropped his paintbrush and immediately hid behind LoLo. Well, Iris does come on a little strong. Orchid joyfully ran to her cousins to bestow hugs and Su headed straight for Lin. Wing paused for a moment, Rose in her usual place on his hip, looking about the room. “In the back,” called Opal, pointing, and he planted a kiss on her cheek before making his way out to the veranda, greeting Mako and Pearl. There was the sound of Wei’s happy shout; Wing laughed in return and launched himself right over the railing, Rose still in his arms, to sail down several meters to land with a thud that they most likely felt across the Island. Earthbenders!

A pair of warm, soft arms enveloped me from behind, and I smelled Nuo’s intoxicatingly floral perfume. “Oh, darling,” I said, and she squeezed me before coming around to face me. Her eyes widened and then narrowed.

“You’ve been crying,” she said, and pointed at me. “Why have you been crying?”

“Oh for goodness’ sake,” I said, “Hello to you too, Nuo.”

“Hmph,” she said, and kissed my cheek. “We’ll be discussing this later.” She turned away from me and bent down to take up a beaming Meili in her arms. “Well, here is our girl! Give your Auntie Nuo a kiss?” Meili immediately obliged, happy as always to bestow her love. Baatar was greeting LoLo, his youngest granddaughter cradled in one arm and Su was hugging both Opal and Lin, laughing as Bu threw his arms around her waist.

“Iris Beifong!” Nuo’s voice rang out across the room. “What did we discuss on the airship about badgering poor Zhi?”

Iris was clutching his hands in hers, trying to yank him towards her. “I’m not badgering, Mommy! I’m trying to hug him!”

“Zhi, do you want Iris to hug you?” Nuo’s well-shaped eyebrow arched up. Zhi shook his head desperately. “Iris…” Iris dropped Zhi’s hands, burst into tears, and ran back the way they had come. Nuo sighed. “That girl. She’s desperate to be friends with Zhi. She really admires him, you know. Wing and I keep explaining to her that you can’t be friends with someone if you try to force them into it, but poor Iris just can’t seem to help herself.” She closed her eyes for a brief moment. “I should go and fetch her.”

I put my hand on her arm. “No, you say hello to everyone. I’ll go and get her.” I kissed her cheek and went looking for my honorary niece. I found her slumped down on the steps of the front veranda, sobbing her eyes out. “Oh, Iris, darling.” I sat down next to her. “Darling, it’s alright.”

She looked up at me with those great dark eyes she inherited from her mother. “Zhi hates me,” she sobbed, and threw herself into my arms. Clearly we were all prone to waterworks today, even fierce little Iris.

“No, he doesn’t, Iris, my love, don’t take on so. Zhi is just a little...well, a little intimidated by you. Do you know what that word means?” She nodded and I soothed down her braids. “It was much like I was with your mother when I first met her. My gracious but I was terrified of your mother when I met her!”

She looked up at me. “Is that true?” She snuffled.

“Certainly it is. Has no one ever told you about the first day I met your mother?” She shook her head, tears still clinging to those long eyelashes. I passed over my handkerchief. “Well. You know that your mother worked as my secretary in Ba Sing Se, yes?” At her nod I continued. “I was in desperate need of a secretary, and I had canceled all of my engagements that day so that I could interview a few applicants, your mother was not the only one. So there I sat, in one of the meeting rooms, behind a table, alone but for my bodyguard.”

“Yumi.”

“Yes, that’s right. Yumi.”

“And Uncle Huan was there.”

I smiled. “He was, but not with me in the room that day, he had very little interest in helping me interview potential secretaries.” I took the hankie out of her hand and held it up to her nose. “Blow.” She did so, and I continued. “I had been fairly impressed with the man I had interviewed before your mother, he had many years of experience and came very highly recommended. I had already made up my mind that he was the best applicant.”

“Boo on that man!” Iris looked indignant.

“Boo, indeed!” I patted her knee briskly. “So there I sat, tired of interviewing and very much wishing for a cup of tea, when your mother was escorted in. She was the final applicant and it had been a long day, and I will admit that I almost told them to send her away without speaking to her. Good thing I didn’t! The door opened and there she was, very young, and very short, and she marched right into that room like she owned it. She looked so fierce that I immediately sat up straighter. Yumi told me later that she instinctively reached for her fans.”

This got a small smile from Iris. “Because Mommy looked so scary?”

“Indeed!” I winked at her. “She had a clipboard in her hands, and she stared at me for a very long moment. The longest moment of my life, I believe! And then she narrowed her eyes at me-”

“Like this!” Iris crowed, and narrowed her eyes exactly as her mother does. Unsettling from a nearly seven year old, believe me, Progeny.

“Yes, just exactly like that. She did that and then she said, ‘I understand your Majesty is in need of a secretary.’ Up went those eyebrows of hers and she said, ‘I’m the one you need.’”

“She did?” Iris’s own eyes were wide with disbelief.

“You may take my word on it! And then she spent the next five minutes telling me exactly why she was the one I needed, she didn’t even wait for me to ask her any questions! I couldn’t do anything but gawp at her, I was completely mesmerized by how confident she was.” I put an arm around Iris. “She told me much later she was scared right out of her socks, but she was so desperate to get the job she refused to let herself show any fear at all.” I laughed at the memory. “When she had finished she pulled up a chair right in front of me, sat down, neatly crossed her ankles, took up her pen from her clipboard, and said, ‘Now, if Your Majesty would be so kind, I would appreciate hearing what sort of advancement opportunities I could expect if I were to accept his offer of employment.” At Iris’s confused look I shook my head, laughing again. “What I am telling you, Iris, is that your mother asked me - a king! - to try to convince her to take the job. It’s simply not done! People don’t speak that way to kings. I knew right at that moment I had to have her.”

“And he sat there behind the table and told me why I should take the job, too.” Nuo was leaning against the wall, smiling down at the two of us. “It was then that I knew that it wasn’t just that I needed the job, but that I needed to work for him.” She lowered herself carefully down to Iris’s other side. “He put me to work, too. First thing the next morning.” She reached across Iris and took my other hand. “Told me that he would have my things sent for and that I would be given rooms there at the palace.” She squeezed my fingers. “And when he realized that I was wearing my only nice dress every day, gave me an advance on my pay by pretending that it was some sort of policy instead of embarrassing me by speaking about it directly.”

“Well, at least I had learned something from my time in Republic City.” I took her hand up and kissed the top of it.

“And then you were friends?” Iris asked.

“The very best of friends, dearest,” I replied, and Nuo smiled at me.

“The very best,” she repeated, and I smiled in return. She turned her gaze to Iris, and cupped her cheek in her hand. “Now, I came out to tell you that they are about to serve lunch. After lunch you can tell Uncle Wu your New Year wish so he can write it down for you.”

“Uncle Wu has the best writing,” Iris said, and bestowed upon me her most charming Beifong grin, her mother’s dimples coming out of hiding.

“Thank you, my darling,” I said.

Nuo leaned over and kissed her. “Please let Zhi be. You can give him your gift later, when things have settled down. I’m sure he’ll love it.”

“Do you think so, Mommy?” Iris wrung her hands together, her little face anxious.

“I do. I know you’re excited to give it to him, but do you think it can wait until tomorrow? Maybe Zhi won’t be feeling so overwhelmed then. I know it’s hard to wait.” She enfolded her daughter into her arms.

“Okay, Mommy. I don’t really want to wait, though.”

Nuo gave her a smile and another kiss. “I understand. But this time I really do think it’s for the best.” She playfully bopped Iris on the tip of her nose. “Now, back inside with you, that’s my best girl! Whoosh whoosh.” Iris obediently stood up and scampered back into the cottage. Nuo watched her go and then sighed. “That one might actually be the death of me.”

“She is a very singular girl,” I said.

“Ha!” said Nuo. “That’s one way of putting it. You know, she has a moth for Zhi, some species that is quite rare. She spent all of her free time for months trying to hunt it down to give it to him as a gift. She and Wing even got a book from the library so she’d be able to mount it properly.”

“Did she!”

Nuo nodded. “Everything is so hard for her. It makes it a thousand times worse that Orchid takes after Wing; everyone adores her and she gets along with everyone, she’s the easiest child in the universe. Iris runs straight into the world, screaming and kicking, smashing into everything whether it is in her way or not.” Nuo smiled. “She can argue her way out of anything, too. If there’s any kind of a loophole, Iris is the one to find it. It’s exhausting, sometimes.” She glanced at me. “Everything is a fight for that girl. We’ll make a lawyer or a politician of her yet, though, just you wait and see.”

“It’s difficult when a child takes after you, isn’t it?” I said with a sly smile, and she playfully smacked my shoulder.

“Says the man whose daughter has already learned from his example how to bat her eyes and get out of everything.”

I put my hand over my heart and gasped theatrically. “You wound me, you really do.”

“So, you want to tell me what Qi and Mako said that made you cry your very first day in your brand new house?” She raised her eyebrow at me, skewering me with one of her penetrative looks. Damn her anyhow! She caught me unawares with her discussion about Iris. She has been doing this to me for years now, Progeny. I love Nuo with every breath in my body, but I do not love how she is able to reach into my head and pull out every single hidden thought I may have. She is _relentless_. I have tried, many times over the years, to avoid her sniffing out my every mood, but I have always failed. It does not matter what I do; if I try to disassemble, if I give her my very best disdainful Hou-Ting attitude, if I put on the happy mask that fools nearly everyone else. She is _never_ deterred.

“I do _not_ want to tell you,” I replied sulkily, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Let me rephrase that. Spill it right now, Wu.” She pointed one exquisitely manicured finger at me. “I’m not having you sulk and whine today. Let’s have it.”

“What if I don’t want to tell you!” I cried, trying to squirm out of it. She didn’t even bother to answer me, just continued to pierce me with her eyes in that way she has. It is hard to describe Nuo’s stare, Progeny. However, if you imagine someone’s gaze melting the very flesh off of your bones, you might come close. Perhaps you think I am engaging in a bit of hyperbole for dramatic effect, which I am the first to admit I am fond of doing. I can assure you, however, nothing could be further from the truth. I have personally witnessed her turning that look of death onto various and sundry Beifongs; all of them have found a reason to exit the room posthaste. And yes, that includes both Su and Lin.

“Fine,” I said, throwing my arms out. “Not that it is any of your business!” I don’t know why I bothered. Nuo considers me her business and it is not like I am ever going to be able to do or say anything to change it. So I told her all of it; Qi and Mako’s reactions to the house, and the things that Qi had said to me in the bedroom. (I did not include the things Qi had said about Qi’s feelings as to whether Qi felt like a woman or a man; that is for Qi to discuss with Nuo if Qi wishes. I merely told Nuo that Qi discussed it with me and that it was private and Nuo did not question that, at least.) After I had finished I was in tears again, blotting at my eyes with my handkerchief. Nuo gazed out at the ocean for a time before turning back to me.

“Do you know why I married Wing?”

I blinked a little, I must confess. I wasn’t expecting the question. “Well, because you love him, naturally.”

She smiled. “I do, yes. I love his kindness and steadiness and his playful side, too.” She leaned close to me. “Not to mention, all of those Beifong boys are just gorgeous. And they are all... _big_ boys, as well.” She waggled her eyebrows at me suggestively and I felt my cheeks warm up.

“Nuo!”

That only made her burst into giggles. “Not that I’ve tested them all, of course.”

“Well, don’t look to me for confirmation,” I said, and sniffed at her. She tucked her arm into mine and gave me a squeeze.

“But I didn’t need to actually marry him to get any of those things from him. They were already mine. I didn’t need to marry him for his money or for the sake of the girls, either, spirits know his parents wouldn’t have cared and you know how liberal Zaofu is. No one is putting any pressure on Wei to marry, and Su and Baatar regard the whole thing with Ikki as something positive for both of their sons.” She snorted. “Oh, I know Su got worked up about Opal and Bolin, but that was more about the wedding itself and less about the marriage. Su just wanted to show off with a big official party for her only daughter, and Opal knew it.”

“We all knew it,” I replied, and that got me another squeeze.

“But as I said, I didn’t marry Wing for any of those reasons. I married him because of the way he looks at me.”

I frowned a little. “I’m not sure I’m following.”

Nuo’s smile was a little wistful. “Wing has always looked at me like I was the most precious and fragile and beautiful creature in the world. Like I was one of his rare blooms, the ones in his garden that he is so careful and tender with. No one else in my life has ever looked at me that way, Wu. Everyone else looks at me like I am made of steel. And I am! But Wing is the one person in the world who has always seen past that steel to see the real me inside. That’s why I pledged myself to him. He’s the only person who will ever have my heart because he’s the only person who has ever known it.”

“That’s lovely, Nuo,” I said, and sniffled a little. What can I tell you, Progeny? I am a true romantic. It’s not like everyone doesn’t already know it.

“So let me ask you this,” Nuo said, and she cupped my cheek in her hand much the same way she had done to Iris. “Why do you want to marry Qi? I don’t mean the legalities of the situation, there are other options besides marriage and in any case, you know as well as I do that most of Republic City assumes Qi is already your concubine. I know you’ve settled Qi with properties and an allowance already, there’s no need for marriage there. So why?” She would not let me turn my head. “You are one of the most generous people I have ever met, and I love you dearly, as you know. But you are also self-centered. We’ve all been trying to tell you that you are being selfish about this and your response has been to drown yourself in self-pity.” Her hand slid to grip my chin. “It’s time for you to stop this nonsense, Wu Hou-Ting. It’s enough. You are a grown man. You did something hurtful, and you need to put on your big boy pants and fix it instead of whining about it and expecting everyone else to make it better for you. What kind of an example are you giving to your children, for one thing? And for another, the very idea that you would expect Qi to just marry you for no other reason than you wanted it is exactly like something your paternal family would do.”

“It is NOT!” I shouted, and pulled back away from her. Because she was Nuo, however, she went in for the kill.

“Of course it is. Your mother was never given a choice, she was expected to marry your father. Your grandmother was expected to put up with your grandfather’s kitchen maid that he elevated above her in everything but title. Have you ever thought what that must have done to her? How it must have felt to her, noble girl that she was, to be humiliated by what your grandfather did? Answer me this...did you speak to Mako about your intention to ask Qi to marry you before you asked Qi?” She shook her head and tsked at me. “You don’t even need to answer, I can see it on your face. Of course you didn’t. In your mind, there was no need. You don’t even think of yourself as going behind Mako’s back." She leaned towards me and took my hands into hers. "Wu, Mako is not a noble boy from Ba Sing Se, raised to think of himself as nothing more than a pai sho piece, played to his family’s best advantage. Mako is a proud and independent man, raised in Republic City. Not to mention he’s been pining after Qi for awhile now, I realized it when you all came for Opal’s wedding." She tightened her hands on mine, shaking them a little as she tried to make me understand. "So here he is, in love with Qi and trying his best to deny it, trying to remain faithful to you the way that he was raised to believe, and what do you do? Not only do you ask the person he’s in love with to marry _you_ , you do it without even acknowledging or considering his feelings. And that’s just Mako! Qi was brave enough to tell you how Qi felt and all you did was throw a tantrum like you were Meili.”

“Nuo,” I said, and my eyes started to fill up. She wasn’t having it, though, leaning in even closer to me, not allowing my hands to escape her grip.

“You stop those tears right this instant. No one feels sorry for you but you. You bungled it, Wu. I’m sure you thought you were doing the right thing, but you weren’t. So you need to buck up and admit that you were wrong, for one thing. You need to apologize to the both of them, to Mako for treating him like he is not your equal in your marriage and to Qi for treating Qi like Qi has no agency in Qi’s life. And then, once you have done that, you need to sit down and think long and hard why exactly it is you want Qi to marry you. You specifically, I mean, and not Mako or anyone else. Because Qi told you very clearly that wanting it because you are royalty and therefore expect it is not enough for Qi. And you owe it to Qi and to Mako and yes, to yourself to find out what the answer to that question really is.”

I couldn’t even say anything, Progeny. Nuo has scolded me on many occasions, but never like this, never with so much passion. All I could do was stare at her, speechless, as she put her hands to both of my shoulders and shook me.

“Wu, you are like a brother to me. More than a brother; I love you far more than I ever loved any of my actual brothers. I care for you, so deeply, you have to know this. I say these things to you because I love you, and because I can’t stand watching you throw away all the love in your life because of your damn stubborn royal pride.” She pulled me close, wrapping her arms around me, and whispered into my ear. “Remember your mother. Do you think she would be proud of you at this moment?”

“No,” I said, and Progeny, I was so ashamed, so very ashamed that I couldn’t even cry. I just wrapped my arms around Nuo and let her envelop me in her tender embrace. I love my husband, and yes, I do love Qi, but sometimes I think that Nuo and I have known each other forever, that our lives have threaded through and around each other life after life after life. We will never be lovers, but I daresay that the kind of love we have for each other is perhaps even deeper than that. She understands me, Progeny. I am just beginning to realize, however, that I have very selfishly not returned this love the same way back to her. Because I am aware, of course, that Nuo, at her very core, is still that little girl standing miserably alone in the schoolyard, mocked by the other girls for her ragamuffin accent and Lower Ring ways. I know this, just like her husband does, but I still expect her to give to me without ever giving anything back.

Oh Progeny, what _would_ my mother think of me?

Nuo held me close for a time and then set me back, whipping out her hankie and seeing to my face, just as she always has. “Alright, that is quite enough of that. Lunch is waiting on us, and you need to write down the girls’ spring couplets, and then I need to take them back to the Firelord’s home so I can at least try to get them to rest a little before we change for the celebrations. You’ll be joining us there, yes?”

I nodded and stood up, helping her to her feet and giving her my arm. “Naoki has sworn this year that she will make it to midnight.”

She brushed herself off lightly. “We’ll see if Rose makes it through the parade, she’s terrified of the noise. I’m thinking of asking Huan if he’ll take her, I know he won’t last long once the whole thing starts either.”

“Have they arrived yet?”

Nuo smiled. “Yes. Just a little after we did. I expect that once he can shake loose of Ikki’s family he’ll be along.”

“And the brother?”

Nuo shook her head. “Huan said he wouldn’t come, and wouldn’t let the little airbender boy he’s taken on come either.” She sighed. “Wing was disappointed.”

From inside the house we heard an indignant shout of, “Uncle Mako! Meili isn’t sharing!” followed by a furious squawk that was most certainly from my youngest. Nuo and I glanced at each other.

“Orchid,” she said, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. “Back into the fray, my love.” We walked through the front entryway to the familial maelstrom beyond.


	4. In Which We Prepare For Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bedrooms are juggled; everyone dresses for dinner and Wu meets a somewhat new acquaintance.

Ember Island  
Midwinter, Tigerdillo Month, 4th Day, 185 AG  
Late Afternoon

 

After we had finished lunch and I had done the spring couplets for The Flower Garden the Zaofu Beifongs made their way back to Izumi’s cottage; the gaggle of various younger Republic City Hou-Tings and Beifongs were directed to their bedrooms for a short nap. (I leave you to imagine the response on the part of the eldest princess; an impassioned philosophical debate with regards to who could or who could not _make_ her do it ended with a slammed door and my husband making a speedy retreat to the backyard, a very disgruntled expression on his face. I have expressed some concerns about the eruptions between the two of them; however, LoLo is wholly unconcerned and tells me that these sorts of explosions are par for the course for firebending families and that far worse happened in his home while he was growing up with his numerous siblings. I know for a fact that LoLo is on excellent terms with his entire family, so there is some hope that we will all survive Naoki’s adolescence intact.)

I went looking for Qi and the boys and found them in the front of the house, facing the beach, admiring their work. All of the sawing and hammering had produced a large sculpture which appeared to be a reasonable facsimile of this year’s hog monkey. I had no idea that any of them knew how to build anything! I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised, however. Qi as well as Mako, Wei, Bolin and LoLo have gone several times up to Qi’s hunting lodge outside of Republic City and apparently are fixing the roof? I shudder to think. For one thing, I cringe at the very idea of Bolin wielding anything sharp and for another, what on earth are they sleeping on out there? Hopefully none of the vermin-infested beds! I strongly suspect there is a great deal of fire whiskey as well as cigarettes being taken along, but never mind. The last time she was in town Korra went with them and when they all returned two days later there were dire mutterings with regards to hangovers and such. I can well believe it.

“What are you going to do with it?” I asked, shading my eyes with my hand and peering at it. It appeared that they had used scavenged seashells to make the hog monkey’s rather fearsome fangs.

“Burn it at midnight,” said Qi, grinning widely. “Goodbye to 185.”

“We’ve even got some firecrackers to stick inside,” Wei said, matching Qi’s grin.

“Mako promised to light it up,” Bolin said. He was rubbing his hands together in glee.

“With any luck it’ll blow sky high.” Wei winked at me. The three of them looked extremely satisfied at the idea.

I rolled my eyes, I must confess. “Well, so long as the children are out of proximity.”

“Kaboom,” whispered Bolin, spreading his hands wide.

I left them to it. The cottage really was looking festive at this point; there were paper cutouts in the windows, many celebratory paintings on the walls, and banners draped on nearly every surface. 186 is the Year of the Rabaroo, so there were plenty of them represented on the decorations. (Meili has been especially entranced with the rabaroos and has asked me several times if we can have one as a pet. Those creatures are nearly as tall as I am! What on earth would we do with one, dress it in trousers and have it sit at the table like my great-grandfather did with his bear? Certainly not!) Mako had hung up all of the spring couplets and all of the lanterns were strung up as well. It really was lovely.

“Nuo says you bought this house. It’s very big.” And there was my own Huan, standing on the veranda outside the open doors to the dining room. I was so happy to see him that I immediately got a bit choked up, Progeny. It has been far too long. He just smiled at me in the sideways way he has and wrapped me up in his arms, pulling me right off of the ground. “Hi hi hi,” he breathed into my ear. “You smell like you. It’s good.”

“Oh, I have missed you so very much,” I said, holding him firmly the way I know he likes to be hugged. “I’m so happy to see you I can’t even begin to tell you.”

“Well, go ahead and try because I think maybe I’ll just carry you around for awhile,” he said, and gave a little huff of near-silent laughter. “I could do it, too. You’re very small.”

“Nonsense,” I said, resting my head on his shoulder. “I’m as tall as your younger brothers.”

“You’re like carrying a little pebble.” He walked forward a few steps, demonstrating, as I laughed. “But I need to hold on to you for awhile so where can we go and cuddle?”

“To the bedroom!” I cried, and despite the scandalized looks we got from the servants we passed, he carried me the whole way to Mako and my bedroom, where he dropped me on the bed and lay down next to me, snuggling into me with a pleased little sigh.

“Okay, now my day is better,” he said, the hairsticks sliding out of his hair and slithering their way to Mako’s end table. “Ikki’s brother is here with her uncle and her father isn’t happy about my brother, and everyone’s angry but trying to pretend they aren’t.” He pushed his face into the crook of my neck and rubbed it back and forth the way he does when he’s happy. “If I notice, then you know it’s pretty bad.”

“I have been scolded by Qi, Mako and Nuo just today,” I said, and sighed. “Maybe I should go over to Izumi’s place and watch someone else’s family difficulties for a change.”

“Is it about you asking Qi to marry you?” His face was still in my neck.

“Yes. Why, are you going to scold me as well?”

“I don’t usually scold people. And anyway, I came over here to do this, not talk about your love life.”

“I suppose everyone wants to talk about your love life as well.”

He made an angry-sounding grunt. “I keep saying I don’t want to talk about it but then everyone just talks about it anyways. I love my family, but I don’t love it when they talk above my head like I’m a child and I don’t get any say.”

I thought about this for a moment. “Do people do this to you a lot?”

He nodded into my neck. “It takes me too long to answer sometimes and then people either think I’m not paying attention or that I don’t have an opinion. Just because I get stuck sometimes doesn’t mean I don’t have an opinion. I should be more like my brother, maybe.”

“Why is that?” I sat up and started to take off my jacket. “Don’t mind me, please, I am wilting in this heat.” Huan rolled over and peered up at me. He was very sensibly dressed in a sleeveless vest and light knickerbockers, Fire Nation style.

“You always wear too many clothes.” He gave me a little smile, though.

“Can’t help it, it’s how I was raised.” I laid my jacket carefully over the foot of the bed, followed by my vest. “I know it’s probably silly.”

“Not silly, just you. I like you.”

“I like you too,” I said, and lay back down and waited for him to mold himself around me again.

“The last time someone said something to him about Ikki he told them to fuck off and mind their own business.” He put his head back into my neck and wrapped an arm around my waist.

I blinked, and then mentally went back to what we were talking about. This frequently happens with Huan. To say that he has a one-track mind is an understatement, believe me. “Oh, yes, Baatar Jr. Or is it just Baatar? I gather he does not wish to be called Junior any longer.”

“He just likes Baatar.”

“Baatar it is.” I gave Huan a firm kiss on his forehead. Huan does not always appreciate these kinds of things; you have to know him fairly well to know when you can touch him and when you cannot. Right now, when he had come to me to cuddle, was one of those times where I knew I could touch him. “I’m sorry he didn’t come. And the little boy, too. He would have had playmates, Meili and Rose are close in age.”

“He and Ikki had a big fight about it. Ikki thinks he is just being stubborn, but that’s not it. He’s scared to leave the mountain. It got even worse once we found out he was being spied on for Kuvira. You know.”

I did know, Huan had written to me all about it, and Wei had told us about it as well. “I can only imagine.”

“I wanted to bring Goba but at the last minute Ikki said no, that we can bring him next time but that maybe this time Baatar needed him close.” Huan sighed. “He’s never been to the Fire Nation. I think he would like it. I wish he had come.”

“Well, at least you came. I would so much like to go and visit the temple, but you know how Mako is. I was thinking, however, that perhaps the children and I could come in the summer.”

Huan’s smile was big this time. “You could?”

“I really do want to see it, you’ve painted such a vivid picture of it in your letters. And in any case, I quite liked Bora the few times we met her and I would like to meet her cousin as well.”

“Please come. Please. Do you promise?”

“Have airship, will travel,” I replied, and then laughed at the skeptical look he was giving me. “Yes, Huan. I promise.”

With one of his flashing Beifong grins, he rolled me into an enormous hug, nearly spilling me off the bed. I squeaked a little - Huan has quite a grip on him - before glancing over to see Mako standing in the door, a fond smile on his face. Mako has, upon occasion, evidenced a little jealousy with regards to other people’s behaviors towards me, but he has seen Huan do the same sort of thing with his younger siblings. He understands that this is just Huan’s way of showing affection, not flirting.

“Hi Huan,” he said, and got a continuation of the grin in return.

“I stole your husband,” Huan said. “I promise to give him back, but I think I made his hair poofier.”

“Oh, it always does that in the humidity,” replied Mako. “It’s the hair that ate Ember Island.”

“Mako!” I protested, but Huan flopped over on his back and let loose with that nearly silent laughter that he has, pointing at my hair.

“Are there seashells stuck in it? Sand? Maybe some seaweed?” He continued to laugh, and I had to finally laugh along with him.

“You leave my poor hair out of it, thank you very much.”

“Ikki’s looking for you,” Mako said, and his eyes widened as he got a playful shove from behind.

“Ikki sure is,” she said, poking her head around him and grinning. “You snuck out on me.”

“I didn’t sneak, I ran for my life. Your father’s head was getting all red. That seems like a bad sign.” Huan shifted the both of us over and Ikki sailed gracefully across the floor to land on my other side. She was dressed much like Huan, eschewing her wingsuit for the midriff-baring fashion of the Island. At this point I was beginning to be a little envious, Progeny. They looked far cooler and considerably more comfortable than I was. I caught Mako giving Huan’s vest an appraising look; I could hardly blame him, even in his shirtsleeves he looked like he was sweltering.

Note to self: see if I can convince Mako to wear as little clothing as possible here. (It should not take much convincing.)

Ikki sighed. “It is a bad sign. My poor mother is doing all she can to calm things down but it’s not like my father doesn’t have a temper, never mind Meelo.”

“Wait, Meelo’s here?” Mako took a step into the room. “I should grab Bolin and go and say hello. It’s been too long.”

“Please do,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Take him away from my father before they stir up a typhoon or something.” She nudged me with her leg. “Maybe Huan and I should stay over here.”

“Oh dear,” I said. “I'm out of spare bedrooms. Otherwise you would of course be more than welcome.”

Ikki shrugged. “Or we can just sleep on the beach. It’s not like we haven’t done it before.” She smiled down at Huan and he smiled back. “Maybe, if we’re lucky, we’ll get nocturnal visits from turtle crabs again.”

“I liked them, but not when they crawled across me.” He shuddered and held his fingers up, waving them in a way that imitated a turtle crab’s slow walk. “That part wasn’t good.”

“If the two of you really want to stay here we can throw the older kids out on the veranda with some blankets. It’s warm enough and they’d love it,” Mako said. “You can have Naoki’s room.” He met my eye and I gave a little nod.

“Seriously?” Ikki asked, and at Mako’s nod she leapt off the bed and jumped up into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist, surprising a laugh out of him. “My hero!” she cried, and he shook his head at her, amused.

“Aren’t you little big to be doing that?”

She just laughed. “Please, I’ve seen you pick up your brother and haul him around. He weighs as much as a flying fishopotamus.”

“Uncle Huan!” Naoki skidded past the door in her stockings before circling back and making straight for the bed at a dead run before catching herself up, waiting. Huan smiled at her and held out his arms and she jumped in. “Hooray! Hugs today!”

“Today is a good day for hugs,” he agreed, and squeezed her.

“Butterfly, if we let you and San and Zhi sleep out on the veranda tonight can Huan and Ikki have your bed?” Mako poked Ikki in the side and she squealed and dropped down.

“Sure! Can we really sleep on the veranda?” Naoki sat up, grinning. “What about Bu and Meili?”

“Hmmm. I think just the three of you bigger kids, okay? I’ll ask Opal about San but I don’t think it’ll be a problem.” Mako deftly avoided a retaliatory tickle from Ikki, who grinned and blasted his hair back. “You’re asking for it,” he warned, and her eyes lit up as she sent a stream of air hard enough to make his mouth gape open and flap like a koi. “Now you did it,” he said, nodding slowly, before suddenly lunging for her as she ran out onto our veranda, Mako hot on her heels.

“Daddy’s being pretty silly,” Naoki said, leaping off the bed to follow them out, watching as Mako used a fire jet to follow a cackling Ikki on her air scooter. I smiled to see the sheer delight on her face. “Get her, Daddy!”

“Sometimes even Daddy needs to let his hair down,” I said, and winked at Huan.

 

After the children had woken up from their naps they were fed a snack (fresh mango; they were not the only ones enjoying it, I assure you, LoLo brought me some and insisted I eat it) and then bathed and dressed for Izumi’s dinner party. As a nod to the heat here I made sure that their clothing was light. Still formal; my gracious me, we are going to the Firelord’s home for dinner, not to Chin’s downtown! There are standards to uphold! The girls were dressed in matching sleeveless silk dresses of pale green, Meili’s shorter with bloomers underneath and Naoki’s longer with a pleated skirt. There is no point in putting that child in something she cannot move about in, she will only get overenthusiastic about something or the other and tear her clothing, and you can be sure I have learned this from years of experience. I pulled Meili’s curls to the side with a large bow and was going to start to braid up Naoki’s hair but she surprised me by asking if she could wear it down. Her hair is just past her waist; straight and slightly coarse and on that border between a very dark brown and black. It glows nearly a reddish color in the direct sun. I have always thought it beautiful, even when she was very small and it stuck up in all different directions as if she had been electrified. She brought with her a butterfly hair clip, done in gold and rubies, that had been her birthday present last year from the Firelord and her family. I had not packed it for her! I looked at it as she placed it in my hand, raising one eyebrow.

“I thought I should wear it, Papa. Since the Firelord gave it to me and we are going to her house tonight. I know it doesn’t it exactly match what I am wearing…” She looked just slightly unsure, an expression very rarely seen on my confident warrior of a daughter. I cupped her chin in my hand and met her eyes.

“When you are given a gift from royalty, it always matches whatever you are wearing,” I said, and nodded. “Very well done, Princess. Very well done indeed.”

I was not jesting, Progeny. Obviously my children will never rule the Earth Kingdom. That does not change the fact that they represent a royal family that goes back countless generations, a dynasty of wealth, power and influence. Mind you never forget it either, Progeny. Be proud of who you are. Hold your head high. Do not let your great-grandfather’s disassembling of the monarchy itself make you forget who you are and who your ancestors were, once upon a time.

I brushed Naoki’s hair until it shone, and then pulled the hair at her crown back and fastened it with the clip. Simple, but regal; striking, even. I escorted her in front of the mirror in the bathroom so she could see herself.

“You look stunning, Naoki.” I smiled at her over her head. “I am very proud of what a fine young woman you are becoming.” She smiled back and me and then whirled around to hug me. I kissed the top of her head. “Now, off you go so that I may finish getting dressed. Mind you don’t do anything to that dress!”

“Yes, Papa,” she said, and then scampered out. Oh, Progeny! Whatever shall I do when she leaves us to start on her own life’s path? I confess I got a little misty-eyed about it.

“Now what made you cry?” Ah, my husband. The very picture of compassion.

“Just thinking about Naoki growing up,” I said, and dabbed at my eyes. “You look very handsome.” And so he did, wearing a loose suit of light gray linen, embroidered in thread of just a slightly darker hue. “You’re probably going to faint from the heat, though.”

He gave me a look at that. “Since when have you ever seen me faint?”

“Well, if you do, do it next to your brother or someone else a little more substantial than I am, because I will certainly never be able to catch you.”

“If anyone is going to faint, it’ll be you.” He gestured at my suit, in the same pale green silk as the children’s. (Zhi also had a sleeveless tunic and knickerbockers to match his sisters.) “Did you have to wear a waistcoat as well? You’re going to cook.”

“Mako! This is Izumi we’re talking about, not some sort of a beach party.”

He put a hand to his hip. “You’d wear a suit to a beach party as well.”

I rolled my eyes at him and dabbed at my face with a blotting paper. One does have to watch for shiny skin in this sort of weather. In a perfect world I would have flawless skin as Lin does but alas! I most emphatically do _not._ Despite her scars Lin has soft and blemish-free skin that would put a porcelain tea cup to shame. I am exceedingly envious. I have tried to use the same exclusive skin cream that she uses but it only makes my skin oily and patchy. Very disheartening! Even LoLo started using her cream some years back and it has taken ten years off of his face, the old rascal. Meanwhile, I am stuck with a never ending battle of clogged pores and a shiny nose. It’s really quite unfair. “Did you manage to chase down Zhi to comb his hair?”

“LoLo managed it. He even gave him a little slap of his aftershave as well.”

That actually got a smile out of me. “How very grown up of him.”

Mako smiled back. “Yeah, he looked pretty pleased. Had to immediately run to let San sniff him, and then San needed some as well. LoLo patted it on, made a big deal out of it. The two of them are walking around like they own the joint.” His smile turned a little wistful. “My Dad used to do that for Bo and me. He’d put some shaving lather on our faces, pretend he was shaving it with his finger. You know, like I do with Zhi sometimes.”

“Yes, I know,” I said softly, and then wrapped my arms around his waist. “You’re a good father, Mako.”

“Papa! Papa!” Zhi was hovering in the door. What must it be like in those homes where children would never dream of barging into their parents’ room? Actually, I can answer that, Progeny. A miserable and strict sort of home, or at least that is my experience of it. We have locks on the doors for those times when children are most emphatically not welcome. Otherwise, I like to ensure my children may access me whenever they need me.

“Yes, darling?”

Zhi ran into the bathroom and bared his neck at me. “Take a sniff, Papa!”

I leaned down and obligingly took a long and deep sniff. “My gracious, Yaozhi!” I put my hand to my heart. “I can hardly even recognize that it’s you! What on earth is going on? Suddenly you seem so very grown-up!”

He wriggled a little, barely containing himself. “It’s cologne, Papa!”

I sniffed again. “Well, imagine that! It suits you. I can hardly even recognize my own little boy.”

He beamed at me, that sweet and loving smile of his that never fails to catch at my heart. “Don’t worry, Papa, it’s still just me, your own little Zhi.”

“Oh thank goodness,” I said, and wiped at my brow in faux-relief. I inspected him from head to toe. “You look very sharp, Zhi. I will be ready very soon and then we can walk over to the Firelord’s for dinner. Did you let Qi take a sniff at you?”

“No!” he cried. “I’ll do it right now!” And out from the bathroom he flew, as I chuckled after him.

“You’re the good father,” said Mako, and he kissed me so soundly that it’s a wonder I was able to manage to get out the door at all.

 

Ikki returned with their things and Mako managed to scare up a large mattress from spirits know where, putting it on the back veranda and making sure there were pillows and such. The three eldest cousins will sleep out there, a proposition that appealed to them, you can be sure. I rather envy them, Progeny. I believe it will most likely be cooler out there tonight.

Qi was wearing a sleeveless long tunic of deep midnight blue silk with matching trousers, embroidered with silver good luck symbols. If I know my Qi, tomorrow’s outfit will be red and gold, to celebrate the actual New Year. LoLo and Lin were also dressed in Fire Nation finery, sleeveless as well. Mako looked fairly disgruntled when he saw what everyone else was wearing, muttering about never listening to me again about what to wear on Ember Island. Well, I like that! It isn’t as if he hasn’t been here before and he picked out his own suit! Even Bolin and Opal were dressed for the weather.

I would never dream of saying it aloud, but I will confess here, Progeny: I wish I was wearing what they were wearing.

We all of us arrived at Izumi’s house to be welcomed by Juziya and Sozui. Juziya was very cordial - she is rather a restrained girl, although I don’t say as I can blame her, she is, after all, the next Firelord - but Sozui was nearly levitating in his excitement to see us. He managed to keep himself still, however, and bow properly and welcome us to the home. He carried himself very well until his sister smiled down at him (not too far down; Sozui has had quite the growth spurt in the few months since we saw him last!) and told him to go on, then. He promptly grabbed San and Zhi’s hands and pulled them inside, jabbering on about some sort of fireworks that his uncle had procured for him. He stopped, however, to turn and look at Naoki, his face a rather comical study in confusion.

“Aren’t you coming?” he asked, those black brows of his scowling at her.

Naoki sniffed, in such a blatant imitation of Lin that I caught Opal putting her hand over her mouth and using Pearl as an excuse to turn her head away. “You boys go on, I’ll catch up later,” she announced, cool as anything. Poor Sozui just stood there, blinking, as Zhi tugged on his hand.

“Come on,” Zhi extorted. “I want to see those rockets!”

“But...Naoki…” Sozui trailed off, his mouth dropping open as Naoki turned her back on him and addressed Juziya, complimenting her on her outfit. I caught Opal’s eye over Pearl’s head and we had to immediately look away from each other so as not to start laughing. Sozui let himself be pulled along by the younger boys, nearly tripping over himself as he kept trying to turn his head to stare at my daughter.

Juziya escorted us into Izumi’s elegant sitting room. Mako and Bolin both immediately headed over to Meelo, Tenzin’s eldest son. I do not know him very well, Progeny; his uncle took him away to the Southern Air Temple only a few months after Huan and Ikki had left, and even before that he had never been all that interested in me (and the feeling was rather mutual). His dark hair was far too long for fashion; pulled back into a low ponytail, and he was bearded as well. He is not as tall as his father or his uncle, although he does have his father’s powerful build, inherited from his grandmother’s Water Tribe heritage, I would venture to say. He was still without the traditional Airbender tattoos. I know from Huan that this was one of the things he and his father had fought quite bitterly about. He says that Ikki is of the opinion that he should have them, as is Jinora. Meelo grinned broadly when he saw Mako and Bolin, however, and returned Bolin’s embrace very enthusiastically.

“Prince Wu,” said the Firelord, materializing at my side, and I nodded to her.

“Thank you for the invitation, Firelord,” I said, and she returned my nod.

“So very formal,” chuckled a rather creaky voice, and I looked down to see a very old lady sitting in a chair, a cane to her side. “Well, Izumi?” she asked the Firelord, who - much to my surprise! - smiled at her very fondly.

“Prince Wu, may I present my aunt, the Lady Kiyi?”

Firelord Zuko’s half-sister! Through his mother, Ursa, and her second marriage, of course. She must have been older than I realized. I bowed at her properly, as one does to a Lady of her standing.

“It is a great honor to make your acquaintance, Lady.”

Her large green eyes fairly twinkled at me. “You’ve already made my acquaintance, actually. Although you were only three years old the first time, so I’ll forgive you for not remembering me.”

I felt a small body nestling against my leg. Ah, Meili. With a smile, I leaned down to put my hand on her back. “Meili, this is the Lady Kiyi. She is Firelord Izumi’s aunt.”

Without any prompting, Meili bowed very prettily and bestowed the Lady Kiyi with her most charming smile. “My honor,” she said, batting those big blue eyes of hers. The Lady returned her smile.

“This is my youngest, Lady. I’m afraid my son has disappeared with Prince Sozui.” I looked about the room and caught Naoki’s eye, motioning her over. She immediately came to me. “This is my eldest, Naoki. Naoki, I would like to introduce you to the Lady Kiyi. She is the Firelord’s aunt on her father’s side.”

Naoki bowed very properly indeed. “My honor, my Lady.”

“I saw your Demi Kai last year,” the Lady said. She tipped her head and gave Naoki an appraising look. “I don’t normally bother with that sort of thing, but Ursa told me I should.” She leaned towards Naoki. “I was watching from the entrance the boy came through.” A wink was tipped Naoki’s way. “When you’re old and important you can watch from wherever you want to.” This got her a smirk from Naoki, which the Lady returned. “You’re quite a firebender, my dear.”

“That is a very great compliment coming from a firebender like yourself, Lady. Thank you.” Naoki bowed again, and the Lady sat back and chuckled at her.

“Oh? And how do you know about that?”

“The Firelord told me all about it,” she said, her face lighting up. We all glanced at the Firelord, who had picked up Meili and had settled her on her hip, where she looked right at home. My youngest has managed to be toted about by some of the most prestigious people on earth, Progeny; presidents, Firelords, Water Tribe Chieftains, the leader of the Air Nation, the Avatar, etc. Never mind her own family, which includes a prince for a father, a mover star for an uncle, and the Governor of Zaofu as her doting Granny, who was already waving at her from across the room. That child! I was going to write that she might have even won over my Great-Aunt, but I don’t believe that even Meili’s charms would have overcome that rather considerable hurdle. (And her charms are very great indeed. Oh! What a queen she would make!)

“I’ll just bet she did,” replied the Lady, giving the Firelord an amused look. Izumi just lifted an eyebrow at her aunt and then gestured to Naoki, walking with her over to speak to Lin, Meili still contentedly sitting on her hip.

“I visited the court at Ba Sing Se on Izumi’s behalf when you were still very small,” the Lady said, and I turned my gaze back towards her as she sighed. “I told her when I came back that we needed to do something about you, but no matter what we said Hou-Ting wouldn’t let you out of her grasp.” She reached out and patted the seat next to her and I sat down, of course. “I’m sorry for it.”

“The Firelord has told me. Well, I do thank you for trying, Lady.”

“Still, I will admit I breathed a sigh of relief when we heard that father of yours was gone. Rotten to the core.” She patted my knee. “I can’t tell you how glad I am you didn’t take after him.”

“It seems to be a very popular sentiment when it came to him.” I shrugged. “I very rarely saw him, you know. I hardly remember him.”

She nodded. “That was Gun’s doing, of course.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Well, he was the one who made sure your father stuck to his wing of the palace and that he was…” here she gave me a rather conspiratorial look, “...dissuaded...from coming anywhere near you. Your father had it in his head that your poor mother had died just to spite him, and the fact that you looked so much like her only made it worse.” She tsked. “Everyone attributed his precarious temper to him being spoiled, but my brother always thought there was more to it than that.” She sighed, and shifted her cane. “I thought so as well, but then again, we had our sister as an example, so I suppose we were oversensitive towards that kind of thing.” She paused for a moment, her eyes going distant, before shaking her head slightly and turning her focus back to me. “But Gun...yes...when you were five you were poisoned, which was highly suspect in itself. Not that Gun could accuse your father, of course, but let’s just say that when we got the news that your father had allegedly choked to death not long after you recovered we were not surprised. That man would have faced down a pack of slavering wolfbats for you. He made sure he was always between you and Hou-Ting herself.”

I must confess to you, Progeny, that I was rather speechless at this moment, a situation in which I rarely find myself. Apparently my usual court face was gone as well, because the Lady leaned closer to me and put her hand over mine. “You do know you were poisoned, yes?”

I nodded, rather numbly. “I had always been told that it was due to a misguided rebel in the kitchens and that I was not very ill.”

Her look was sharp. “You nearly died. In fact, you went blind for several days, they weren’t sure if you were going to regain your sight or not. Flytrap sap poison, it was. Deadly stuff. That’s why we were contacted, to see if we had an antidote, seeing as it is native to the Fire Nation. As soon as we got the telegram my brother put me as well as our best Fire Shaman healer on Druk and we left right away.” Her hand tightened a bit on mine. “Gun never left your side, I think he aged twenty years in two weeks. It was never just about you being the heir, you know. That man loved you as if you were his own. Thankfully the Shaman was able to cure you. Apparently you had ingested very little of the poison, Gun told us that you were a fussy eater and that’s what saved you.” She shook her head. “Hou-Ting was in a state, of course, because you were the heir after your father. But not in such a state that she wasn’t already looking for a new wife for your father so they could get another heir if you didn’t make it.” Her mouth pursed up. “I really did not like that woman.”

“Well,” I said. I had no idea what else to say, Progeny! I will be thirty years old this autumn and to only hear of this now was, to put it mildly, very disconcerting. “I…” I took a deep breath. “Lady Kiyi, are you insinuating that it was Gun who arranged for my father’s death?”

She blew air through her lips, a rather indelicate sound for such a very distinguished lady. “I’m not insinuating, I’m old enough to speak the truth. It was Gun. I think that man would have done away with Hou-Ting herself if he had thought her to be a threat to you.” At the expression on my face she shook her head. “No, no, he wasn’t involved with the Red Lotus, Hou-Ting’s death had nothing to do with him. But he kept you very well protected.” She leaned back. “I don’t think Hou-Ting had any personal use for your father. I don’t think anyone did, sad to say. But she would have gotten him another wife or two just to make sure he gave her spare heirs. Gun had made sure he had plenty of opium after your mother died, it kept him tractable, he was less likely to beat his concubines or go after the servants. Not even the male servants were safe from him. But to get him another wife? Another noble girl, like your mother? Unthinkable.” She sighed. “Well, anyhow. This isn’t very pleasant talk for the New Year, is it? Forgive me, my dear. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” She patted my hand again.

I made some polite demurral, and then caught Mako’s eye from across the room. He was frowning slightly, watching my face. He raised an eyebrow at me; I shook my head just slightly. His eyes narrowed, and I moved one hand in a very subtle movement. _Later._ He gave me a single nod and turned back to Meelo; however, he kept shooting me glances, trying to gauge my mood. We have been together for so many years, Progeny. Mako and I can have entire conversations without words.

I sat there with the Lady as she deftly changed the subject to discuss the children; I was very grateful to her. I can prattle on about the children for hours without any effort. She was still the excellent diplomat that her brother had sent around the world to promote the Fire Nation’s interests. She had never married, the Lady Kiyi, although I understand that she is very close to her family. A formidable firebender as well. Well, her great-grandfather was the Avatar, after all, so I suppose it was to be expected. I quite liked her, despite the firebomb she’d dropped right into my lap.

I don’t know what to think of it yet, Progeny. I believe I need to pay Gun a visit.

We chatted together about nothing consequential until dinner was announced, and I gave her my arm to gently help her to her feet, taking her in with me to the dining room.


	5. In Which We Eat Dinner And Wait For The Fireworks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An excellent dinner is consumed; everyone whiles away the time waiting for the traditional fireworks at midnight.

Ember Island  
Midwinter, Tigerdillo Month, 4th Day, 185 AG  
Evening

 

It was quite a crowd at Izumi’s table. Tenzin and his siblings as well as his wife and all four of their children (and Kai as well), Su and Baatar and four of their five children, as well as their daughter-in-law, son-in-law and their seven grandchildren, Lin and LoLo and her ersatz son and son-in-law (and person-in-law of undetermined marital status at the moment) and their perfectly exquisite three grandchildren, and of course Izumi’s aunt, two of her three children, and her two grandchildren. Izumi had placed me next to her aunt, with Naoki to my other side and Ursa and Su across the table. Izumi’s eldest daughter was not present (as per usual, she does not leave her quiet countryside home) and her son-in-law had opted to stay with his wife for the New Year. The only other two missing were Baatar Junior and Izumi’s Aunt Azula, who is still alive, apparently, although not usually invited to family gatherings because, according to the Lady Kiyi, (and I do quote), “My sister would rather set us all on fire than sit down for a nice family dinner.”

I remarked that if it were any consolation my great-aunt would have gone out of her way to serve roasted baby air bison at a meal including airbenders and the Lady Kiyi laughed so loudly that Izumi sent her a rather reproving look, which the Lady quite naturally ignored.

Izumi tapped on her crystal glass for silence and made a brief speech thanking everyone for coming and mentioning her father as well as Avatar Aang, Katara, and Toph Beifong. It was very moving and ended on a high note when Rose, curious about one of Izumi’s lovely gold candlesticks, attempted to bend it across the table, managing to knock it over before Wing quickly put it back to rights and Mako obligingly snuffed out an enkindled napkin. What have I told you, Progeny, about being the parent of bending children? If you do not have nerves of steel then you develop them, believe me. Just last week I had to have quite a serious discussion with Meili about using my koi pond as a training pool. I understand that it is an impressive feat for a five year old to be able to create a wave that will propel her all the way across to the other side but my poor fish have been traumatized for life, I’m sure. And no one appreciates the precipitousness of ice instead of water in their toilet, either.

“The last time I saw the twins they were small boys,” Lady Kiyi said to Su as the servants placed the first course in front of us. “I can hardly believe they are so grown up. Time does fly, doesn’t it?”

Su smiled at this. “I keep thinking that as a grandmother I should feel older and more respectable, but I really don’t.”

“A daughter of Toph Beifong, fading into genteel obscurity?” The Lady laughed. “Not a chance. I knew your mother, remember.” She shot a look down the table at Lin, who was shaking her head in resigned amusement at something that Bumi, sitting across from her, had said. “Not even your sister managed to be respectable, although she did try her best for a few years, didn’t she? Oh, the temper on that girl when she was young!”

Naoki perked up a little at that. She had the sense to keep quiet and just listen, though. She is growing up, isn’t she? My gracious.

“Oh, the temper’s still there,” I threw in as I helped myself to a dumpling.

“She’s mellowed. I give LoLo credit for that,” said Su, and we all looked down at LoLo, who was obviously saying something entertaining, based on Pema’s smile and little Orchid’s giggles. He had one hand on Bu’s back and was serving him up some noodles.

“He’s certainly handsome enough,” said the Lady. “Takes after his mother, she’s always been a beauty. That charm of his comes from his father, though.” She chuckled a little. “Every serving girl in that palace chased after his father once upon a time, and until his mother showed up? That father of his was known for chasing right back.” She nibbled at a little of the pickled eel on her plate. “I never did know what Lin saw in Tenzin. Oh, he’s a good boy, don’t get me wrong. They never seemed to suit, though.”

Su shrugged. “I think they just sort of fell into each other, we practically grew up on the Island. Some of it probably had to do with our parents hoping they’d get at least one couple out of all of us.” She rolled her eyes at the thought. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always liked Tenzin, but as a girl it was Bumi who flipped my skirt up.” We all swiveled our heads to look back at Bumi, who had somehow managed to get the Firelord to smile at him as well as Lin, an impressive skill in itself.

“Best summer of my life with that man.” The Lady gave a nostalgic little sigh.

Ursa’s mouth twitched up just slightly. “Another one of your liaisons, Auntie?”

“Oh, he was what, twenty? Twenty-one? So young! And madly attractive, you know. Took after Sokka, whom I always did have a bit of a girlhood crush on.”  She put a hand to her cheek. “Well, who didn’t, really? Zuko sent me via Naval ship to try and iron out some difficulties with the Northern Water Tribe’s trade routes and Bumi was assigned to keep an eye on me, see to my needs.” The Lady widened her eyes and batted them expertly. “He most certainly did see to them.”

“Why Lady Kiyi!” said Su, her eyes dancing. Ursa just smiled and shook her head before serving herself some fish.

“Nothing like a handsome young bodyguard, am I right, Prince Wu?” The Lady turned those mischievous eyes on me.

“I couldn’t agree more,” I replied with a bat of my own eyes, and the Lady laughed and patted me on the arm.

“Oh, I do like you, my boy. Such an improvement over your great-aunt.” She leaned past me slightly to look at Naoki. “You’ll learn all kinds of things if you stay in company like this, Princess,” she said, and you could have knocked me over with a feather when Naoki gave her a little smile in return.

“That’s why I switched places with Meili, my Lady,” she said, and the Lady’s smile curved up slowly.

“Silence is a formidable weapon in the Fire Nation court,” she said to Naoki. “Let everyone else speak to you first, bide your time. It gives you power. But you know that little trick already, don’t you? You used it in your Demi Kai.”

Su met my eyes. We were the both of us listening intently.

“My master tells me that it is often wise to let your opponent make the first move. She’ll show you her strengths and you can look past those to find her weaknesses. She says that the power of observation is as important as any attack you can make.” Naoki was looking at the Lady gravely.

“Not something that most firebenders excel at. We’re not earthbenders, after all. But I don’t suppose you could grow up in a home with one of the finest earthbenders in the world and not learn a thing or two, hmm?” She exchanged a glance with Ursa, who looked at Naoki and then back at her great-aunt with a small, knowing nod.

“I try to learn from everything, my Lady,” Naoki said, sitting up even straighter. “I never want to limit myself.”

“Oh, she’ll do very well,” the Lady murmured, losing her focus, her eyes distant. I don’t believe she was speaking to us at all. “Very well indeed. The Dragon of the Court. I’m just sorry I won’t be here to see it.” She met Ursa’s eyes again before shaking herself a little, tipping her head at Naoki. “Now, you’ll be nice to my poor nephew, won’t you?” She looked past Naoki to Sozui, sitting near his uncle at the foot of the table, picking at his food and shooting Naoki a look of baffled misery.

“Oh, I guess so,” said Naoki loftily, and she turned to give Sozui a brilliant smile. He looked as if someone had smacked him one upside his head before returning it in force. “He’s okay for a boy.”

“Well now, there’s a ringing endorsement,” I said, and the Lady laughed and patted my arm again.

“Now Suyin, Izumi tells me your oldest boy is lurking up at the Northern Air Temple. You couldn’t talk him into coming?” The Lady nibbled at another morsel.

Su sighed. “I haven’t been able to talk him into anything since he was about four years old. Once he sets his mind on something, he’s immovable.” She took a swallow of her wine. “I wish he would have come, but I’m a little leery of pushing him. I’ve done it before and it never turned out well.” A wry twist of her mouth. “To say the very least.”

The Lady tapped her finger on the edge of the table. “He’s not doing himself any favors, hiding up there. He did a lot of good before things went wrong, in Ba Sing Se, especially. Wouldn’t you agree, Prince Wu?”

I nodded. “I’ve been familiarized with a lot of the infrastructure he put into place. The sewage system, for example, not to mention making sure electricity was rolled out for the entire city, which is no small thing in itself.” I smiled. “Let’s just say that he succeeded where others failed.”

“Well, that’s not what most people remember.” Su laid her chopsticks next to her plate.

“My brother also had a lot to atone for,” the Lady moved her head, trying to catch Su’s eyes.

“Your brother was a child. A banished child. Baatar was an adult. It’s not the same thing.” Su swallowed, hard, staring down at her hands.

“Zuko was atoning not just for himself, but for his father and his grandfather and our sister as well,” the Lady said quietly. “For his own sake, your son needs to face the world. Otherwise it will eat at him until there’s nothing left inside. It’s been nearly twelve years. He served his time. He needs to put it behind him, move forward.” She gazed at Su for a long moment. “What about Tenzin’s little girl? Can’t she talk any sense into him?”

We all turned to look at Ikki, sitting next to Huan, grinning at Meelo across the table.

“If anyone could do it, Ikki could,” Su said.

“Like her grandfather, that one,” the Lady said. “Aang would have adored her, I know.”

“Huan’s just blossomed with her,” Su gazed at her son, his hair twisted into its usual knot on his head, his eyes towards the table. “I’ll admit, I never thought he’d leave home, never thought he’d be able to manage on his own. He’s just thriving, though. He’s happy.” She smiled at me. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve done for him as well.”

“He’s my friend,” I said. That has always been enough and more for me, Progeny. Huan was the first real friend I ever had; someone who wasn’t an employee, paid to be around me. I may not get to see him as often as I’d like, but I cherish him. “I tried to convince Raiko not to put Baatar into prison, you know. I never thought it made any sense and I told him so myself. I even offered to put him to work in the Earth Kingdom since Raiko didn’t want his help. He always was a shortsighted ass, though.” I rolled my eyes. “People do like to go on and on about the unsuitability of various monarchs as an argument for democracy, and yet when they actually get their Republic? They elect someone like him.” I tsked.

Su was staring at me. “I...you never told me that.”

“I hardly knew you at the time. And in any case I didn’t want to say anything later since I couldn’t get Raiko to agree. I am sorry, Su. I did try. I still firmly believe that letting him sit there behind bars doing nothing instead of having him serve his time by rebuilding Republic City was a poor choice on Raiko’s part.” I snorted. “One on a list of many poor choices.” I sighed. “There was a push to have him tried in the Earth Kingdom once his sentence in Republic City was completed but at least I put a stop to that nonsense.”

The Lady smiled at me. “It’s not like you had to worry about long-term popularity or anything, hmmm?”

“Exactly,” I replied. “Get too unpopular, people feel the need to choke you to death in your own throne room. Extremely unpleasant.” I speared another dumpling. “I’m trying to avoid it, myself.”

“If anybody tried to do that to you I’d stop them, Papa.” Naoki’s hand was suddenly in mine, and she squeezed it tightly. “And you know I could. I would never ever let anybody hurt you.” Her face was fierce as she caught my gaze. “ _Never_.”

Tears stung my eyes. “Oh darling,” I said, and kissed her on her forehead. “No one wants to hurt me.”

“I listen, you know. I hear the things you and Daddy and Lin say about the Royalists.”

The Lady stirred at my other side.

“Darling, you don’t need to worry about that, it’s-”

She interrupted me with a tug on my hand. “I mean it, Papa. I might only be eleven but I’m a better firebender than most grownups.” This was not braggadocio on her part, Progeny. She is, and she knows it. We all know it. “You can depend on me.”

I took her face in both my hands. “Naoki, I know what an amazing bender you are. It has nothing to do with that. Qi protects me, as does Daddy and Lin and yes, even LoLo.” I stroked at her jaw with my thumbs. “Darling, your job is to be eleven, and to go to school and to train, to have fun with your friends and your brother and sister and cousins. You leave the worrying to the grownups for a little while yet, all right?”

“Naoki,” Su said, and her voice was serious. I let go of her face so she could turn her head in Su’s direction. “I want you to remember something. You’re an amazing bender, but you're not the only bender. Do you understand what I’m saying to you? Call for help if you need it, and don’t be ashamed to use it. I raised all of my children to know that they could help each other, whether they were benders or not.” She smiled, just a little. “Not that I could have separated Wei and Wing when they were small if I’d tried. But if you ever get into a sticky situation, you call for backup. That’s not weakness, and it has nothing to do with your abilities as a bender. It’s just being smart. My mother taught me that, and Lin as well.”

Naoki frowned a little. “But Zhi, he’s kind of helpless.”

Su and I exchanged a smile. “Well, maybe he’s helpless in the middle of a battle, sure. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have anything to contribute. There’s so much more to life than bending, sweetie.” Su looked at Naoki fondly. “Keep it in mind, okay?”

“I promise, Granny.”

I kissed her temple. “That’s my girl. Now, have you had any of the fish? It looks delicious.”

“It is delicious,” said Ursa, who had been following the conversation quite closely, despite her apparent quiescence. “And a little extra prosperity never hurt anyone.”

“That’s quite a girl you have there,” the Lady murmured into my ear. I smiled at her.

“Yes,” I agreed. Oh, Progeny, you must forgive a father’s foibles. She is an astonishing child; intelligent, fierce, loving, compassionate. I am so deeply proud of her. I love her more than I ever thought possible. Before she came into my life I had no idea of the kind of love a parent feels for their child, none at all. That kind of love was never given to me, outside of the two days that my poor mother lingered on before her life drained out of her. Oh, now my eyes are filling up as I write this. If you had told me before I had children that it was possible for your heart to be so vulnerable with love I would have patted you condescendingly and dismissed you as some sort of sentimental fool.

I remember the first night she spent with us. She and LoLo had arrived in the morning; Mako took her all over the house and the grounds as she ran and grabbed at things, laughing. So curious and adventurous, even then. Because of all of the excitement she hadn’t gotten a nap and by the early evening she was crying for Mako’s aunt and uncle, the only family she’d ever known. I felt wretched; she was so unhappy. LoLo said that she was overtired and he put her to bed, limping heavily up the stairs to her bright and cheerful bedroom on the second floor. He read her a bit from a storybook and she threw an impressive tantrum (complete with flame, which LoLo easily extinguished without even putting the book down) and then quite literally dropped where she stood, falling into a deep sleep.

Mako put her under the covers and tucked her in; we spent the next few hours chatting with LoLo as he told us about her likes and dislikes, that sort of thing. Eventually we all went to bed. I couldn’t settle, however, and so eventually I left a sleeping Mako to creep into her room, dimly lit by a nightlight shaped like a butterfly. There she lay, her covers kicked down around her, her soft pajamas twisted up about her. A restless sleeper, even then. I tried as best I could to smooth down her pajamas, but I had absolutely no experience with children of any age and I was tentative, afraid that I would wake her. Afraid of what I would do if she did awake. I sat on the edge of her small bed, looking down at her. She was two years old; I was only twenty. Both of us babies, really. I had made the decision to bring her home to us impulsively, the way I made most decisions in those days. It struck me, though, looking down at her, that this was a _child_. This wasn’t the choice between two different shades of green for a new suit. The choices I made for her, about her, would matter. They would impact her forever. And perhaps you think this was silly of me, Progeny. After all, had I not already abdicated and dismantled a monarchy by that age? I had, yes, but I had been trained for that, for one thing, and for another, I had an entire cadre of experienced advisers to assist me, to offer me counsel, to smooth over any mistakes I might have made. The dismantling of the monarchy was a process. This tiny little creature in front of me, with her hair sticking up all over her head and the little scar on her finger where she’d accidentally burned herself and the new bandage on her knee where she’d fallen down while running in the garden? She was real. Not an idea, but a precious human being. The more I looked at her, the more I cursed myself for my stupidity. What had I been thinking? I had no idea what I was doing. I was a fool, and I decided that in the morning I would send a letter to Izumi telling her that I had reconsidered and asking her to please provide her a good home with a family in the Fire Nation.

It was right at that moment that her eyes opened and she looked up at me. My breath caught; my first instinct was to turn tail and run for it. Her chin wobbled; she looked so sad, so frightened, so lost, that I couldn’t help myself. Didn’t I know how that felt? Didn’t I know what being frightened and alone was? Before I could think better of it, I whispered, “It’s all right, Naoki.” And then I lay down next to her in her little bed, scrunching myself up a bit to fit, curving around her slightly. “I can stay here with you tonight.” She whimpered out one scant sob and my heart broke into pieces. She quieted after that, however, and eventually I heard her breathing even out again as she fell back into sleep. Eventually I slept as well.

I have made many mistakes in my life, Progeny. I will make many more, I am sure. Naoki was not one of them.

The dinner finished up without any major mishaps despite Pearl attempting to bend various things across the table, regardless of her mother’s strong exhortations to the contrary; I understood why Izumi had sat Tenzin opposite from her as he was easily able to hold a conversation, eat, and deflect all incoming food, utensils and anything else that a toddler could manage to gleefully send his way. The dinner itself was excellent; even LoLo had nothing but praise, and you can believe me when I tell you that praise from LoLo with regards to all things culinary is difficult to come by!

Izumi had opened up her sitting room to the veranda outside and had managed enough chairs and such to host all of us. We were waiting for the fireworks at midnight, of course, although I had my doubts as to whether or not Meili, at least, would make it that late. Qi, Wei and Huan disappeared for a time but then reappeared with the hog monkey sculpture; Huan was hardening the sand under it to make it easier for Qi and Wei to shove along. They left it on the beach right in front of Izumi’s home, where it sat, waiting to be exploded at the proper time.

Meanwhile, I had sat down on a settee next to the Lady Kiyi. I was quite enjoying her company. She amused me with stories of her youth and her time as Zuko’s ambassador; I told her about Republic City and our life there. At one point Bumi came over to bow at her and kiss her hand, which delighted the Lady to no end as she made eyes at him over her fan. I confess that I do like Bumi, Progeny. He does, as they say, get around. I am just the slightest bit envious. I really did aspire to being a ladykiller in my younger days. Obviously, I failed - miserably! - for a myriad of reasons. Perhaps I should have joined the Navy!

The evening wore on. Izumi passed out sweets and red envelopes to all of the delighted children and, much to our amusement, Iris gathered together all of the cousins that were capable of speech (including Rohan, who very kindly went along) and they went out into Izumi’s backyard and played at being a circus, complete with San acting as a trained bear, Meili acting like a rabaroo (naturally), Naoki playing at an acrobat (not a stretch, the child is very acrobatic, after all) and Rohan, who at fifteen is already nearly as tall as Mako, playing an excellent strong man, easily carting a thrilled Orchid around on his shoulders. Iris, you can be sure, was the ringleader, a position for which she is uniquely qualified. The rest of the children either couldn’t decide what they wanted to be (Bu) or switched whenever they thought of something newer and more exciting to play (Zhi and Sozui). At one point all of the adults were required to go down to the garden and watch the show, which we applauded enthusiastically. We had lost little Pearl early on; she’d tumbled into sleep in the middle of Izumi’s heirloom rug, snoring with such boisterous enthusiasm that the conversation had sputtered out as we all stared at her. It’s quite a noise to come out of a baby, believe me. In the end we just left her there, covered with Su’s light jacket, stepping around her when necessary. Poppy was the next to go, tucked into her doting grandfather’s arm. Rose’s sleepy head was leaning against her father, her little body drooping into her Uncle Wei’s lap. Wei and Wing were sitting next to each other, as usual, communicating in half sentences, grunts and looks, the way they always do. Huan, meanwhile, was sharing a sofa with Opal, his feet curled up under him, his sister pressed into his side. The Beifong siblings always sit like that; touching each other, leaning into each other, very close. I’ve always been fascinated with it. One of the things that captivated me about Mako from the beginning - aside from his extremely good looks, of course - was how he often he’d casually touch me. He’d put a hand to the small of my back to guide me through a door, for example, or take my upper arm to make sure we wouldn’t get separated in a crowd. Nothing inappropriate, of course - he was always the consummate professional - but it was just his way. It thrilled me to no end. I’d purposefully trip in order to have him steady me, or move just slightly ahead of him so he’d reach out a warning hand to tug on mine, telling me to stick close. He’s always been physically demonstrative with the children; hugs and kisses, putting them on his shoulders, letting them swing off of his biceps while he grins at their laughter. Over the years he’s even gradually gotten past all of Qi’s ironclad boundaries by resting his hand on Qi's shoulder or reaching over and adjusting Qi’s stance a little when they are sparring together.

Mako and Bolin were still talking to Meelo; Ikki was sitting cross-legged on the floor, chatting up at Nuo, who I would lay odds was trying to winkle information about Baatar out of her. Qi had been talking to Juziya for some time. I have no idea what they were discussing but Juziya was smiling and looked more relaxed than usual. I wasn’t the only one noticing; both Izumi as well as Iroh had been shooting glances their way. At one point Qi pulled out a war fan and Juziya took it carefully into her hands, Qi pointing out the razor-sharp metal spines. Juziya is a firebender, of course, and while I have never seen her bend I am sure her training has been thorough. I can’t imagine Izumi would have it any other way. I don’t think she was familiar with war fans, however. Izumi needn’t have worried. Qi could hand one of Qi’s fans to baby Poppy and Poppy would be utterly safe with Qi watching after her.

About an hour before midnight Rohan approached me. “Wu, would it be okay if I took the kids up on Exit? I thought it might be fun to watch the fireworks from up there. I promise I’d be really careful.”

I smiled at him. “No question of that, of course. Yes, I think it would be fine for Naoki and Zhi. I’m not sure about Meili, however.” I called over to Opal. “Opal, Rohan wants to take the children up on Exit to watch the fireworks.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Really? Sounds like fun. Sure, you can take mine.” She glanced over at Nuo. “Can he take the twins?”

“I promise I’ll be very careful.”

Nuo smiled at him. “I know you will. Yes, take them, if you don’t I’ll never hear the end of it.” She called over to her husband, “Wing, Rohan is going to take the twins up to watch the fireworks on Exit.”

Wing grinned at him. “Be prepared to have your ears talked off.” He glanced over at Rose, curled up in her uncle’s lap, finally asleep. “I wouldn’t send Rosie anyhow, she isn’t very happy in the air.”

Wei smoothed down her hair, her head cupped in his big hand. “Stick to the ground, Rosie Posie,” he murmured.

Rohan approached Izumi, standing tall, hands clasped easily behind his back. She had been chatting with Kya and Lin most of the evening. “Firelord, would it be okay for Sozui to come up with us on my air bison to watch the fireworks? I promise I’d be very careful, we’d stay far back, no fancy flying or anything.”

Izumi smiled up at him. “That’s fine, Rohan. I’m sure he’ll enjoy it.”

Juziya stood up. “May I invite myself along?” As Rohan turned to look at her, she smiled. “I’ve never actually been up on an air bison, and Sozui’s talked about it so often.”

Rohan blinked. “Uh, yeah! Sure, if you want to. I mean, of course it’s okay.” Juziya nodded at him before catching her grandmother’s eye; Izumi reached out and squeezed her hand just slightly. Izumi is not, perhaps, the most demonstrative person in the world, but it has always been very clear to me that she loves her grandchildren deeply.

Juziya turned to me. “If Meili would like to go, Wu, I’ll take responsibility for her.”

I nodded. “In that case, of course she may go. Thank you, Juziya.” Wing, Bolin and I followed Rohan and Juziya to the garden, where he announced that they could all go, much to the excitement of the children. Wing made sure his girls knew the rules (including reminding Iris three times that Rohan and Juziya were in charge, not her) and Bolin tousled Bu’s hair, kissed him twice and told him to watch his breathing and not to try any fancy airbending tricks. Meanwhile, Rohan went to fetch Exit; Sozui, Naoki and San helped saddle him while the rest of the children crowded around, jabbering on about fireworks, air bison, and I don’t even know what else. I sought out my youngest.

“Meili, Juziya is going to keep an eye on you. Mind you stay near her, yes?” She promptly trotted over to Juziya and took her hand in hers, gazing up at her adoringly. Meili is completely enamoured of Juziya; she refers to her as _my real princess_ and often mimics her when she sees her, sitting up straighter and gazing about with a very good imitation of her royal equanimity. Juziya immediately picked her up and settled her on her hip, beaming at her. Astonishing. Add the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation to the list of people my child has won over.

Wing and Bolin gave those that needed it a little boost into Exit’s saddle, and they all settled down, Meili naturally ensconced in Juziya’s lap. Naoki and Sozui were leaning over the front of the saddle, chattering at Rohan; I cupped my hands around my mouth. “Naoki Hou-Ting, you stay in that saddle, do you hear me, young lady?”

“PAPA!” she shouted, giving me a look which combined both disgust and betrayal with more than a little embarrassment thrown in. She should consider herself lucky. Mako would have probably bent himself into the saddle to lecture her to her face. It is not a matter of me not trusting her, Progeny; Naoki is a very well-behaved girl, and fairly sensible as these things go. However, she does have a tendency towards impulsiveness which, in a child as athletic and fearless as she is, can lead to things like dangling from an air bison by a single strap around her ankle. (That is not conjecture on my part; this very self-same thing happened a few months ago when Naoki decided to try leaping off of Exit the way she has seen Huan leaping off of Ikki’s Blueberry Spicehead. The difference, of course, is that Huan is an extremely gifted metalbender who does it with a cable and with Ikki’s full knowledge; he is not a child doing it on the fly with a leather strap without saying a word to her friend before launching herself into the unknown. I truly thought Mako was going to have a coronary on the spot when he looked up and saw Rohan trying very carefully to manage Exit so as not to drop her. He turned a exceedingly alarming shade of crimson and couldn’t manage anything but a wordless roar before he shot up into the air with his fire jets. Let us just say that the fireworks after that one nearly brought the house down around our ears. It was Qi, though, that made her cry after Mako had hauled her back into the saddle and Exit had landed safely. Qi helped her down and then, taking her by the arm, pointed at a pale and shaking Rohan and said, in that quiet and calm way that Qi has, “What do you think it would have done to him if you had been hurt or worse on his air bison?” It was, I believe, far more effective a deterrent than all of Mako’s subsequent hours worth of shouting.)

We waved as Exit launched into the air and then Wing slung an arm around my shoulders. “Daughters, what can you do?”

“Just you wait until yours turn eleven,” I said, and shook my head at him.

“Have a heart,” he laughed. “I’ve got four of them.” I returned his smile. While I know that some fathers might wish for sons, Wing has always been completely delighted with his flower garden of girls. We watched as Exit smoothly leveled out, his powerful tail pushing them through the air. Rohan was keeping him fairly close to the ground, making slow circles above the homes nearby as well as the beach. Sensible of him; Bolin’s children were quite comfortable in the air thanks to their mother’s Juicy and Rohan took Zhi and Naoki up fairly often but the others were not so familiar with flying.

“I always knew I wanted kids,” Bolin said, eyes skyward, tracking Exit’s progress. “I always wanted to be a dad. I used to think about all the cool and fun things I’d do with my kids once I had them.”

“I would have been expected to father heirs, of course. But it’s unlikely I would have had much to do with the raising of them,” I replied, waving up at Zhi, who was waving down at me with two very enthusiastic hands. “It’s not how it was done. I can’t imagine my life without being such a close part of theirs and I don’t want to, quite frankly.” I blew Zhi a kiss and then caught the one he blew back at me, pressing it into my cheek.

“I don’t know if I ever really put much thought into it,” Wing said. “Not until I met Nuo, at least. Once I met her, I started thinking about it.” He smiled, lost in his memories. “The day she told me she was pregnant with the twins was the happiest day of my life. I think I cried all day.”

“I don’t remember all that much about our parents,” Bolin said slowly. “Mako remembers a lot more. I feel bad about it. Sometimes Uncle Chow will do or say something and I’ll remember a little bit of Dad. But when I think of parents, most of who I think of is Mako.”

“I know how lucky I am to have both of mine,” Wing said, glancing back at the house. “Not that my family is perfect or anything, but I always knew I was loved and wanted. And Mom and Dad are such a big part of the girls’ lives. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“I think being raised the way I was gave me an appreciation of family however I would find them. Mine’s a little unorthodox, I know, but we’re still a family.”

“Mom still can’t get over how Aunt Lin pretty much lives with you now.” Wing grinned. “She calls it the taming of Lin Beifong.”

“No kidding!” said Bolin.

I snorted. “That’s on LoLo, don’t look at me.”

“Yeah, some of it’s on you,” Wing replied, and squeezed my shoulders.

The three of us slowly made our way around to the front of the house where the rest of the adults were gathering, waiting for the fireworks to start. Qi and Wei were doing something or the other with the hog monkey, laughing and trading genial insults with Mako, who had his hands on his hips, scoffing at them. Most of us had had a few drinks at this point - save Qi and Huan, neither of whom drink and Bolin, who does not hold his alcohol well and therefore usually skips it. I was surprised, however, to see that insofar as I could tell, Wei had not been drinking at all. Surprised in a good way, mind.

Su came up to me and linked her arm in mine. “Baatar and I were going to ask if you wanted to leave the children with us tonight.” She smiled. “But I hear that the three oldest are getting to sleep on the veranda, hmm?”

“Oh, did they tell you that?”

She laughed. “In detail. But if you like, we could keep Meili. We’re going to keep Pearl and Bu, I already made arrangements with Opal. We’ll send them back over in the morning.” Here she tipped me a wink. “Not too early, though, just in case you enthusiastic young things think you might want to try and stay up for the sunrise.”

“Well of course you can keep Meili, but I suppose I should go and pack her a bag-”

Su waved me off. “Oh, don’t fuss, it won’t kill her to sleep in her underwear for once, even if she is a princess. She’ll be fine.”

I smiled a little ruefully. “I’m too formal, I know. I’ve done both the former king and rich young foolish playboy but I never can seem to find the middle point.”

“Stop being so hard on yourself,” Su said, squeezing my arm. “You’re fine the way you are. You have three beautiful and wonderful children, a loving husband, and a Qi. Who, my sister tells me, you asked to marry you?” She was giving me one of those frank and appraising looks of hers.

“Yes, well, it went over like a lead balloon, I assure you. One of my biggest gaffes in a lifetime of gaffes.” I tried to keep the bitterness out of my tone. I did not quite succeed.

Su stroked her fingers down my arm absently. “You know,” she said, looking up as Exit passed over us, “My mother had quite a time of it, balancing the sheltered noble girl she was in Gaoling with the ferociously independent woman she was in Republic City. My grandparents loved her, but my grandfather was so ashamed of having what he considered a less than perfect daughter that he pressured my grandmother into keeping her a virtual secret. Hardly anyone outside the family knew she even existed until she ran away from home with Aang and the rest of them.” She shook her head. “My grandfather blamed Mom’s blindness on his lesser birth. Superstitious old gorilla goat. My grandmother told me once that she desperately wanted to have another child in order to prove to him that it was not his fault but my grandfather refused to even consider it.”

“And your grandfather siring a child with a concubine or a second wife wouldn’t have addressed the issue, seeing as your grandmother was the Beifong, not him.”

She nodded. “Exactly.” She focused back on me. “I don’t have to explain any of this to you. You of all people know how these old noble families are. I know you understand the significance of having a blind heir and the impact it would have had on the hierarchy of their social classes, of why my grandfather having a concubine bear him another child would have been an insult to my grandmother and to my mother herself.”

“Of course,” I replied. "Not that I approve of what they did, I do hope it goes without saying."

She gave me another gentle squeeze to show she understood. “But until Zuko came along, my mother’s companions didn’t understand it. Fire Nation customs were different than the Earth Kingdom’s but Zuko’s own father was going to expose him outside the palace walls, leave him to die because he didn’t think Zuko was a bender.”

“No different than what was done to members of the Hou-Ting family who actually turned out to be benders,” I said.

“Right. So Zuko actually had a decent understanding of my mother’s struggles. But the rest of them had no idea. They thought it was just about her being disabled without comprehending the classism involved. I think it’s why she refused to acknowledge who fathered both Lin and me. She was going to love us, no matter what, and in her experience, society was fickle that way.” Su’s sigh was sad. “Not that it mattered. She blamed Baatar Junior and Opal being nonbenders on Baatar, of course. They were the ones who were disabled, as far as she saw it. For all that she thought of herself as being open-minded and progressive, she really wasn’t, not when it all came down to it.”

“You can take the girl out of the nobility but you can’t take the nobility out of the girl,” I said and got a little laugh in reply.

“Exactly.” She rested her head briefly on my shoulder. “Wu, Mako and Qi were born and raised in Republic City. Both of them lived on the streets. They have no idea what your life was like, growing up in the Palace. I know you’ve talked about it with them and maybe they’ve read about it, but knowledge isn’t the same thing as understanding. I understand why it is you’ve asked Qi to marry you. I might have been raised in Republic City but Lin and I spent summers with my grandparents, where we were treated as noble young ladies.” She snorted. “I don’t know which of us hated it more. Why do you think I ran away when my mother sent me there in disgrace when I was sixteen? I hated it, but I understood it, just like my mother did. Which is why I understand why you asked the way you did. As does Lin, by the way.”

I was silent for a time, thinking, and she let me be. Wei was grinning, holding out a rocket, which Qi snatched out of his hand, trying to pass it over to Mako, who had folded his arms, raising one eyebrow at Qi and shaking his head. I know him so well, Progeny. I know him better than anyone else, including his brother. I know he folds his arms to keep himself from touching; I know his silence comes from fear. Fear of betraying his feelings, of saying the wrong thing, of exposing himself. His vehement indifference has always served as a barometer of the knotted tangle of his emotions. How long had he looked at Qi this way? I knew. We had been visiting Su and Baatar, the children and I, and when we returned Mako had closed himself off and Qi had gotten bolder; bolder in dress, in appearance, in attitude. A challenge, a direct assault on Mako’s iron-clad defenses. I knew the spread in Snazzy Magazine was not meant for me; I knew it the moment I opened it and saw the lipstick on Qi’s mouth. Most people think that because Qi is quiet and calm that Qi is somehow above ambition, above ruthlessness. Qi was a thirteen year old who lied and brazened Qi’s way into becoming my driver. There is nothing remotely restrained about that. I respect Qi’s single-minded approach to getting what Qi wants. Even when what Qi wants is my husband.

I know Mako, in return, wants Qi. I am not a fool. I know these feelings confuse him, fill him full of guilt and anguish. I know he’s struggling. Some people, love comes on as a gradual thing, something that creeps up on them, revealing itself slowly, layer by layer. It’s not that way for Mako. Whatever happened during that trip, love slammed into Mako with the force of a universe and now he’s floundering, not knowing where to turn.

I can’t bear to see him this way.  

If he wants to be angry with me for ripping away the denial that was hanging like a shroud over our home then he can be angry. I can withstand his anger; I don’t enjoy it, but I can live with it. I can’t live with him loathing himself, however. I love him so. He is the best man I know and I would do anything for him. I know I am selfish, I know I am self-centered, I know I am imperious and spirits know I am stubborn. But he is my weakness. It’s terrifying to love someone that much, Progeny. Glorious, oh yes. But it leaves you vulnerable.

He turned, then, and saw me standing there with Su. He smiled at me; my heart caught and my face must have reflected it, because he walked across to us, extending his hand towards me. Su left me then, but I hardly noticed. Mako cupped his hand around the back of my head and my traitorous eyes filled up with tears. “Don’t look like that,” he said, and pulled me close. “You know I love you.”

A hiss and a muffled boom; the first of the fireworks cartwheeled into the sky, lighting his face with an amber glow. “Happy New Year,” he said, and he kissed me, wrapping his arms around me.


	6. In Which There Is Fire Of All Kinds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bonfire after midnight; true confessions and some excitement as well.

Ember Island  
Midwinter, Tigerdillo Month, 5th Day, 186 AG  
Very Early Morning

 

The fireworks, as ever, were spectacular. Iroh always helps coordinate them and it is clear that he enjoys his little hobby. He had left us after dinner to take a rowboat out to the Naval ship he had docked off the coast; I am to understand it is safer to shoot them off a ship than from the ground. Naturally the show was centered around Izumi’s cottage, so residents from all over the Island flocked over to our part of the beach to watch them. There was a great deal of attention paid to Exit, as well - air bison are still quite rare, and I believe most of the people here had never seen one before. True to his word Rohan kept Exit far back from the show and flew him very safely. I was a bit envious, Progeny. I am sure the view was spectacular from up there.

Mako kept me in his arms during the show; he was impressed enough by some of the pyrotechnics to actually gasp a few times. “That fucking Iroh,” he said at one point, unable to keep admiration out of his tone. There were great huge bursts of sparkling yellow and red and green lights; fizzles that trickled down the horizon, rockets that made a terrible din that had everyone cheering. (Everyone but Huan; he stood with Ikki’s hands pressed tightly across his ears so as to muffle some of the cacophony. Huan is not at all fond of loud noises.) At the end of the show Mako stepped forward, made sure no one was too close (including Exit) and, as promised, sent a gout of flame towards the hog monkey. It caught on fire immediately; however, nothing happened for a few moments. Wei stepped forward to check it just as Mako called for him to get back and the entire thing whistled, shook, and then blew itself into colorful bits of wood, shells and who knows what else as the rockets inside launched into the sky with an atrocious cannonade, showering the beach with luminescent glitter. Wei threw himself down to the sand, covering his head, laughing uproariously. Honestly! He’s lucky he didn’t blow his own head off! Meanwhile my fool of a brother-in-law was shouting and jumping up and down in glee. Even Mako looked fairly pleased with the whole thing. Qi just sat down on the sand next to Wei and laughed until tears squirted out of Qi’s eyes. ~~Really, I appreciate an explosion as much as the~~  No! That is not true in the slightest! I did _not_ appreciate the explosion at all! Someone could have been killed! I said so and Bumi told me to quit being a wet blanket!

**I NEVER.**

I take back what I said about liking Bumi. _A wet blanket!_

See if I forget that anytime soon, you dissolute ne’er do well!

I took my _wet blanket_ self to collect the children off of Exit; Baatar gathered together the four younger grandchildren and whisked them inside to bed. Opal and I escorted the oldest three back to our cottage and made sure they were settled down on the veranda. Zhi was so exhausted that he was babbling perfect nonsense about the differences in smell between air bison and fireworks and Opal had her arm around him, guiding him along, trying her best not to laugh at him. Poor San was swaying on his feet, his eyes sliding shut of their own accord. Once we got to our cottage teeth were brushed, pajamas were changed into, and the children were settled down.

“We’re going to be on the beach in front if you need anything, okay? Sleep tight, you three.” Opal kissed all three of them, as did I, and then we walked down the stairs and around the house. Lin and LoLo had stayed at Izumi’s; I figured they’d be along whenever things wound down over there. When we left Kya had been telling some story about her father buying rockets one New Year and how her Uncle Sokka had gotten a little tipsy and set one off too early, blasting a hole in the ceiling of one of the storerooms on the Island while her mother went after him with a water whip; apparently Su was the only Republic City native who didn’t know the story, based on the reminiscent laughter of the rest.

Someone had laid blankets out on the beach in front of our cottage - oh, why play at guessing games, we all know it was Nuo - and Mako, Qi and Kai were putting together a bonfire. Rohan and Sozui had stayed at Izumi’s, but someone had invited Juziya along. I was glad, Progeny. She is the same age as Meelo, and while I am sure the older generation is diverting it must be tiresome for her to so rarely spend time with people closer to her own age.

“Kids down?” Bolin asked, and I nodded as Opal sat down next to him. Huan was laying down with his head in Ikki’s lap and I was a little surprised to see him there, Progeny. Usually these kinds of nights - ones with lots of noise and people, I mean - do him in. I sat down on his other side and he smiled at me and curled himself up so he could tuck his bare feet under my thigh. Wing was sitting with Nuo nestled up against him in between his legs, Wei pressed up to his side. Kai sat down next to Jinora and Mako dropped down next to me, wrapping his arm around my waist. Meelo was sitting to Jinora’s other side and Qi sat down next to Juziya again. It would not surprise me if Qi had invited her. Qi is always thoughtful that way.

“Blew the shit out of that hog monkey,” said Wei, with great satisfaction. He blinked and slapped a hand to his mouth. “Oh! Sorry about that, Princess.”

“Do you curse in front of Wu?” the princess in question asked, looking around the group, her eyebrow arched in a way that was all Izumi.

“Oh please. Constantly. Even if I am a _wet blanket_.” I sniffed and felt Mako’s chuckle.

“I’m not made of porcelain,” was her tart reply. “I’m not offended by any of that.”

“Oh, I can’t tell you how much I am not looking forward to going back to all of that cold,” Ikki said stretching and waggling her bare toes towards the fire.

“It’s cold,” Huan agreed. “I tried to grow a beard like the rest of them but it was too itchy.”

“Wait, are you telling me Baatar grew a beard?” Wing grinned.

“Oh, he went full out,” Ikki said, motioning all over her face. “Mustache and all. I made him promise to shave it off when it gets warmer. I miss his face.” Mako shifted next to me.

“I’d come up with you, but I don’t have the right kind of clothes,” Meelo said. Ikki shrugged.

“Yung and I get by with the wingsuits and waterproof boots and these thick hooded ponchos they use in the village. I can regulate the cold, but not much I can do about the wet.” She grinned at him. “You’ve got your wingsuit and we can get you boots and a poncho. Come on, where else do you need to be? You’ve got Curly, just follow Huan and me back up. Yung would love to see you too, I know.”

“You should do it,” Jinora said, nudging him with her shoulder.

“You’re the one who should do it,” Meelo replied. “When’s the last time you did anything for fun?”

“Meelo…” Jinora put her hand on his arm. “Please don’t. Not tonight.”

“He’s got you locked up so tight. Would the Air Nation collapse if you took off two damn weeks every ten years?” Meelo’s mouth tightened. “Why can’t you and Kai come with me?”

“You know we can’t.”

“You mean you won’t.” Meelo’s eyes flashed. “You know, last time I checked the United Republic was still a free country. Or is he now your overlord?”

“Come on, drop it,” said Kai, leaning over Jinora. Meelo leapt up and stalked off towards the ocean, arms crossed, staring out over the water.

“Sorry,” Jinora said, staring down at the ground. Kai kissed her on her cheek. There was an uncomfortable silence before Mako stood up and walked over to Meelo, putting an arm around him, saying something that we couldn’t hear over the sound of the surf.

“We could always talk about Baatar if everyone wanted to have a fight,” Huan said, dragging a finger through the sand at the edge of the blanket. Wei snorted.

Opal sighed. “I love him but he’s such an ass. He could have come for Mom’s sake, for once in his life.” Wing snorted in an exact imitation of his twin and rolled his eyes to boot. Opal reached over to jab him in the meat of his thigh and then gestured at Ikki. “Just bring him next time, okay?”

“What do you want me to do, knock him out and bend his stubborn carcass onto Blue while he’s still unconscious?” Ikki threw her hands up.

“It’s the Beifong way,” said Huan solemnly, and that got a laugh out of all Beifongs present. “Wu promised he would come up this summer.” This got me a sharp glance from Qi.

“Yes, I did. The children and I. Qi too, if Qi wants to come.” I nodded at Qi.

“If you’re going then I’m going,” Qi said, although I had to strain to hear Qi. Between the noise of the waves and the crackle of the bonfire, Qi’s soft voice was getting buried.

Huan looked at Qi sideways from Ikki’s lap. “I wouldn’t let anyone bother Wu, you know. Or Wu’s babies. They’re always safe with me.”

Qi nodded once. “Yeah. I know that, Huan.”

“Okay. Good.”

Opal stirred. “Maybe the kids and I could come with you, Wu.”

Huan’s face lit up. “Really? You would?”

Mako and Meelo came back, Meelo sitting down on the blanket next to Qi.

“Would what?” Mako asked, folding his legs and settling back down next to me.

“Wu was talking about coming up to visit us at the Temple this summer and Opal said that maybe she could come along as well.” Ikki leaned down and kissed Huan’s head.

Mako scowled. “We haven’t discussed this.”

I placed a hand on his arm. “We can talk about it later.” I know Mako does not approve, but he is not the be-all end-all of parenting decisions, despite his strongly held beliefs to the contrary. He grunted at me and gave me one of his side-eye looks, which Ikki caught. Her mouth tightened a bit.

“Wu, do you know if the bookstore here has your new book?” Huan turned in Ikki’s lap to smile up at me and I froze. “I can buy it before we leave if they do.”

Everyone looked at Huan and then swiveled to look at me. I forced a little carefree laugh. “I don’t have any books at the bookstore.”

“Oh.” He frowned. “Isn’t it released yet? Or is it just that this bookstore doesn’t have it? We could go to another one on the way home.”

Ikki craned her neck to look down at him. “What are you talking about?”

“Wu’s newest book.”

“Wu doesn’t have any books,” Nuo said, giving me one of her most suspicious looks. An actual trickle of sweat ran down my back, hand to Raava, Progeny. “Or at least not to the best of my knowledge.”

Huan sat up, pulling his feet out from under my thigh, to look at me. “Well, he uses his pseudonym, an art name, like the rest of them. Wu’s is The Pool of Golden Blooms. You know, those books? His novelization of _Love Amongst The Dragons_ won the Exalted Plume Award for best romance last year. Wu’s a very popular writer. My favorite one is _Breath of Dreams_. The one about the village girl who becomes an airbender and then marries the earthbending nobleman? It’s not exactly about the Little Bird and me, but close enough. You included the morning meadow full of roses in it, though. I was surprised, but in a good way. It felt like a gift from you to me.” He smiled and reached out to squeeze my hand.

I am terribly sorry to report that I was rendered completely speechless, Progeny. Worse, I was speechless with everyone staring at me with varying degrees of shock and/or amusement.

“Wait, what?” Mako was gaping at me. “You what?”

I attempted an insouciant little wave. “Oh you know, just a little extracurricular activity.”

Nuo pointed a finger at me. “Wu Hou-Ting! Were you writing smutty novels without telling me?” She slapped an indignant hand over her heart. “Me? Me?” The wounded look she gave me nearly brought me to tears.

“I...well...it wasn’t…” I turned to glare at Huan. “How on earth did you know it was me?”

Huan just blinked. “Well, it’s the name, for one thing. It’s all the things that are you, the gold for you being royalty and the blooms in the pool like your fish.” Nuo made an incensed little gasp and Huan turned to her. “Well, he couldn’t have used Dumpling, Nuo, that would have been a silly name.” He thought for a moment. “Unless you were going to write a cookbook. Then it would be a good name. But I don’t think anyone would buy a cookbook from Wu, because he’s a terrible cook.” Ikki had both hands over her mouth at this point, trying to stifle her laughter. I could feel Mako boring holes into me with his eyes. Huan continued on, however; blissfully unaware, as always, of the pandemonium he was causing. “We’re all in them. The firebender from the streets that was really the long-lost prince, the maid from the palace that marries the king,” he looked back at Nuo, “which is referencing Wu’s grandmother but she’s obviously influenced by Nuo, and even the driver that the princess falls in love with.” His teeth showed in one of his genuinely happy smiles. “Not to mention you got really drunk one night back in Ba Sing Se and told me that you could write a better romance novel than all of the rest of the writers out there.” He shrugged. “Thematically speaking they are step above the rest of the genre and I’m not the only one to note that they excel in capturing the subtle nuances of characterization but I’m not really a literary critic, so take my opinion as you will.” He stopped then, glancing around, noticing for the first time the looks on everyone’s faces. “Wait, didn’t you all know? Am I the only one who knew? Oh.” He winced. “Oh, was it supposed to be a secret? I’m sorry, Wu. I’m really sorry. I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” His fingers started to flutter a little and I shook my head and rested my forehead very briefly on his shoulder.

“It was a secret, but it’s okay, Huan. I’m not angry.” I wasn’t, not really. I would have preferred that everyone not know, yes, but I had always assumed that someone would figure it out at some point. I can tell you that I most certainly did not think it was going to be Huan, however! I had always assumed it would be Nuo! But what have I always said about Huan being full of surprises? You never really do know what is going on inside of that brilliant, divergent mind of his.

Nuo shook her finger in my direction, her other hand on her expansive bosom, which was heaving indignantly. “You...why you...you... _sneak_ , Wu Hou-Ting, you absolute sneak! The Pool of Golden Blooms! It’s so obvious! And the stories! Of course they are all based on us! I can’t believe I never figured it out. How could I have not figured it out? It was right in front of me the whole time!” Nuo’s eyes widened. “Wait, if that’s meant to be Mako in _Flame of Hope_ , then does he…” She trailed off and then suddenly giggled. “That scene in the back alley?” She gave Mako a very appraising look. “Well, then. My goodness, Mako. My goodness _indeed_.”

My face caught on fire.  “They are works of fiction, you know!” The thumb jammed in between Mako’s eyes promised dire retribution later. “I may have incorporated a few influences but I can assure you all, they are wholly made up, tailored to appeal to a certain audience.”

“I have to get copies of these books,” said Wei, grinning. “I want to read all about Mako in a back alley.”

“Fuck off, Wei!”

“Oh, am I in one of your books?” Bolin looked very hopeful. “Am I a hero? Oh! Oh! Am I a detective? Do I save lives?” He leaned forward, his eyes huge. “Do I make the ladies swoon with desire?”

Qi was giving me one of Qi’s inscrutable looks. I never worried that Mako would read them; he rarely reads fiction of any sort, and romance novels are certainly not something he spends any of his rare spare time on. Qi, on the other hand, had practically inhaled my entire library once Qi had learned to read. I was sure that Qi had read them all.

I took a deep breath. “Look, I often have trouble sleeping, and some years ago I figured that as long as I was up I may as well keep myself occupied. I wrote the first one just to see if I could, and then, long story short, I was visiting Ba Sing Se and happened to meet a literary agent there at a gathering and ended up sending it to her and she loved it. She’s the only one who knows who I am. Even the publishers don’t know.” I looked over at Mako, whose mouth was set in a furiously thin line. “I...well. I started a street children’s program in Ba Sing Se like the one at home, I give all of the profits to it. I don’t need the money. I never did it for that.”

Nuo sniffled and then pushed herself up to throw herself at me, taking me into her arms and squashing me against her décolletage. “Oh, of course you are giving the money away to charity, you darling man!” She leaned close and whispered into my ear, “We’re going to talk more about this later, Mister The Pool of Golden Blooms. Don’t even think we won’t.”

I knew we would, Progeny. Believe me.

“I think my grandmother has a few of those books,” said Juziya, tapping on her lip rather absently. “Oh yes, she does, I read the one about the Water Tribe Warrior that travels the seas, having adventures.”

“Yumi. Of course, Yumi.” Nuo slapped a hand to her forehead. “I can’t believe I never guessed!”

Wing was laughing at her. “The one time your mighty brain failed you.”

“Zip it, Wing!” Nuo shot him one of her blood-chilling glares but it was useless, of course. Everyone knows those Beifong boys appreciate a partner that likes to boss them around (and that includes the Beifong son-in-law as well). The rest of the world (including yours truly) may quail under Nuo’s fierce gaze but it only serves to provoke Wing into a more randy state of being. She turned back to me. “Were you ever planning on telling us? Because-”

A sharp hiss and a crackle cut her off as a streak of lightning split the night sky behind us. I was just turning my head to try and figure out where it was coming from when Qi flew past me, running towards our cottage.

“What on earth?” Nuo grabbed my hand as Mako surged up, the look on his face terrible. He too turned and ran, immediately followed by Opal who overtook him using her bending. “Was that lightning?”

“Naoki,” I whispered, and staggered to my feet. Meelo had already jumped up and was propelling himself above the beach as Bolin was struggling to his feet, heavy footsteps thudding across the sand as he ran. I took a stumbling step forward only to have Wei grab my arm.

“You’re staying right here,” he said grimly.

“Wei, that could have been Naoki!” I cried, trying to pull away from him. He held onto me, though.

“Huan, how many?” Wing was on his feet as well. “Princess, please come and sit next to Wu.”

Juziya stared up at him, disconcerted, but Kai took her gently by the arm and guided her up and over to me as Huan stood, closed his eyes, and stamped his foot to the ground.

“Two behind the house, one running there,” he pointed with one hand, “and another two behind that dune over there.” Ikki and Jinora nodded at each other and ran for the dune. Kai took off in the other direction, following the runner.

Wing moved closer to us, eyes scanning the area.

“Don’t you move,” Wei said, letting go of my arm. Nuo reached up and pulled me down between her and Juziya.

“The children,” I said, my eyes overflowing. Nuo wrapped her arms around me. “Nuo, the children!”

“Huan?” Wing kept watching, arms held at the ready, Wei doing the same.

Huan had not opened his eyes. “The runner has stopped, is on the ground. The other two behind the dune are moving, but not quickly. The two at the house…” he trailed off and then stamped again, face closed off. “Only one now. The other, no more heartbeat.”

Wei and Wing exchanged a look. “Qi,” Wei said, and Wing nodded. “Anyone else, Huan?”

“Airbender going to help at the dune. Three Airbenders there now, moving the sand. The other one there,” he pointed, “is not moving.”

“Kai got him,” said Wing. “What about at the house, Huan?”

Huan frowned. “One is gone. The other is not moving. No bending but airbending now.” He pointed in the direction Kai had run off to. “That one is coming now, pushed by air.”

“Is there anyone else coming towards us?”

Another stamp. “The two by the dune are not moving, there is no more bending. But Bolin is coming.” Huan pointed, eyes still closed, as Bolin came down the front stairs and jogged our way, Zhi cradled in one arm, San in the other.

“Zhi,” I cried, jumping up. My heart was slamming so hard in my chest I was starting to feel dizzy.

“Papa! Oh Papa,” he sobbed. He and San both had their eyes tightly shut, “Papa, can I open my eyes?”

“Yes of course,” I said, and then Bolin put him in my arms. “Precious, precious, are you well? Are you hurt?” Bolin had San held tightly to his chest and I met his eyes, struggling for some semblance of calm.

“Naoki’s okay,” he said, and my knees buckled under me. If Wing hadn’t grabbed me and lowered me down I would have toppled right over, I’m sure. I kept kissing Zhi, who was sobbing hysterically.

“Opal went to the Firelord’s house,” Bolin said.

“Mako’s coming,” said Huan, and there came Mako, Naoki in his arms.

“Here’s Papa,” he said, and lowered her down to me. She wrapped her arms around Zhi and said nothing, leaning into me.

“It’s all right, you’re all safe now,” I whispered to her. She was trembling, just slightly. I looked up at Mako and he shook his head.

“I think they were just thieves,” he said, his voice flat, a muscle jumping in his jaw. “The kids weren’t harmed. The airbenders got the rest of them that were running and we’re waiting for Opal to come back with everyone.”

“Did Qi…” Wei glanced down at the children. Mako nodded once and Wei let out with a big sigh.

“Here comes Mom and Aunt Lin,” Huan said, and I saw the two of them running down the beach towards us.

“What the fuck happened here?” Lin barked as she came up to us. “Are the children all right?”

“We’re okay,” Naoki said, from the tight circle of my arms.

“Thieves, I think,” Mako said. ”Qi got to one of them, he was coming at Naoki.”

Lin let out with a gust of air. “Shit.”

“Tenzin and Kya stayed at Izumi’s with the other children, just in case.” Su said. “They didn’t even wake up, though, so please remember to breathe, Wing.”

Wing took a deep shuddering breath and Nuo stood, going to him.

Naoki looked up at Su. “I called for backup, Granny. Like you told me to.”

“Is that blood hers?” Lin snapped, and to my horror I realized that Naoki had a smattering of blood on her face and down the front of her pajamas.

“No one touched me. It was from the man that…” she swallowed. Lin crouched down next to her and cupped her cheek in her hand.

“Did you see it?”

Naoki nodded. “But I told Zhi and San to close their eyes and not open them until a grownup told them they could.”

“I kept them closed real tight,” said Zhi, hiccuping around his sobs.

“Me too,” said San. He wasn’t crying, but his knuckles were white with clutching at his father’s tunic.

“Well, you boys were very brave,” said Lin. She reached out with her other hand to thumb away Zhi’s tears.

Su put her arm around Bolin and kissed San’s cheek. “You know what I think? I think maybe we should walk you over to Izumi’s house. Grampy is there, and LoLo, and all of the rest of the kids. You’ll be safe there. The police are going to be coming and there will be all kinds of noise and I think it would be best if you went over there and tried to get some sleep. What do you think?”

“Well, what a nice idea,” I said, and I forced a smile for Zhi’s sake as I kissed him again. It took everything in me to give him a little nudge towards Su.

“We can take Juziya and Wing and Nuo as well.” Su put a hand down to Juziya, putting an arm to her back as she helped her up.

“I’m staying here,” Naoki said; before I could respond Lin gave her one firm nod.

“Okay.”

Nuo hugged me and kissed me on the cheek before standing up and tucking her arm into Su’s. Mako kissed Zhi and murmured into his ear before handing him over to Wing, who put him, as big as he is, on his hip, wrapping both arms securely around him. “Tell Opal where I am?” Bolin asked, and after getting Mako’s nod walked off with Su and the rest, leaving me still sitting on the blanket with Naoki in my arms. Huan sat down next to us, silent. Lin sat herself down as well.

“Okay, Naoki,” she said, her voice firm and impersonal. “I want you to walk me through what happened.” Mako made a noise of protest, but Lin shot him a look. “You know they’ll want to talk to her,” she said, and he grunted in response, moving to stand next to the bonfire. Wei remained standing, alert to anyone coming near.

Naoki took a deep breath. “Well, I was sleeping,” she said, and she sat up a little. “Something woke me up, a noise I guess, I don’t really know. Zhi and San were still asleep. I looked around and then I saw some people moving at the other end of the veranda. I called out because I thought it was all of you, but then I heard a man say that there were kids there, and that they should go, but a different man said that the house was empty and that they could handle a couple of kids. I stood up and I told them that my parents were just out front and that they should leave. The one man kept coming, though, and so I shot lightning into the sky so everybody would come and help us.” Her eyes slid towards Mako at that point and I knew why; lightning generation is still forbidden to her. He gestured with a pointed finger for her to finish her story, however, and so she took another deep breath and continued. “After I bent some of the people ran away but one of them stayed and told the man coming towards me that they should go, but he was angry, and he told me he was going to make me pay for that.”

Mako’s breath hissed out of him and Naoki turned her head towards him again but with gentle fingers Lin turned her head back.

“Then what happened?”

“The man pulled out a knife and kept coming towards me.”

I made a very distressed noise and Lin put a warning hand on my knee.

“And then what?”

“And then the other man - I couldn’t see him very well, it was mostly dark - kept telling him to leave, saying that I was just a kid and that people were going to be coming. And then I saw the flash of something, and then it flashed again at his throat and then,” here Naoki swallowed, very hard, “the man’s throat started bleeding everywhere and he sort of fell forwards onto the veranda.” A tear slid down her cheek. “And the other man was yelling something about surrendering and then Zhi woke up and asked what was going on and I turned around and I told him and San to close their eyes and not open them until a grownup said they could.” Her look was pleading. “I didn’t want them to see that dead man or all the blood, Lin.”

Lin nodded. “That was good thinking on your part, really smart thinking. And then what?”

“And then Daddy was there and he was checking me to make sure I was okay, and Auntie Opal was saying they needed some light and some other people...I’m sorry, Lin, I don’t remember everyone who was there or everything that happened after that.”

“That’s okay, Naoki, that’s normal in these situations. It’s fine. What else happened?”

“Auntie Opal told Uncle Bo to take the boys to Papa and her brothers and he picked them up and took them into the house and then Daddy picked me up and Auntie Opal said she was going to go to the Firelord’s house to get all of you. And then Daddy carried me away here.”

Lin patted her on the shoulder. “Okay, those were really great observations, Naoki. You did a great job. I’m sure that the police here on the Island will ask you what happened and you just tell them the truth, okay? You did everything exactly right.”

“Okay,” she whispered and nestled back into my arms. “Lin?”

Lin’s face softened. “What is it, baby?”

“Was it Qi that killed that man? It was dark and it was so fast, I didn’t really see.”

Lin’s look was unflinching. “Yes, it was.”

“Will Qi be in trouble? Because of me?” Tears slid down both cheeks now. Lin gently cupped her face again.

“Qi is not going to be in any trouble. Qi was defending you, okay? Nobody gets into trouble for that.”

“But Qi killed that man,” Naoki said, her voice hitching up.

Lin sighed. “Naoki, you and I, and your sister and your father, we’re trained to be benders. Yumi was trained to be a warrior and a bodyguard. Qi was trained to do one thing and one thing only, which was to do whatever was necessary to protect your father and, by extension, you kids. Qi did exactly what Qi was trained to do. Qi was not trained to ask questions first, Qi was trained to eliminate all threats immediately. Do you understand what I am telling you?”

Naoki nodded slowly. “Qi was just doing Qi’s job. It wasn’t personal.”

Lin pulled her forward and kissed her forehead. “Exactly.” She sat back. “Now, the police are here already, I bet, so let’s go together and find them. You’ll either give your statement tonight or do it in the morning, I’m not sure how they’ll want to call it. I will be with you the entire time, though, so you don’t need to be afraid, alright?”

“What if they make you leave?”

Lin’s snort was bleak. “They can try.”

They took Naoki’s statement right then and there; the Island’s Chief of Police was an older woman who seemed to be fairly efficient as these things go. I don’t think they get many murders, self-defense or otherwise, on the Island. She had no objections to Lin being there and confirmed that while the dead man was unknown to her, three of the other four thieves were well-known to the local constabulary as petty criminals. They had already hit up two of the cottages on the other side of ours. I think everyone agreed at that point that they were simply trying to take advantage of the holiday to engage in a spot of robbery, and that it was not personal to me or our family. Once they were done with Naoki they took Qi’s statement and Lin took Naoki into the house and helped bathe her and dress her in clean pajamas. LoLo had returned at that point and he told Mako that he and Lin would take her into their bed that night.

Huan and Ikki had gone to bed in Naoki’s room and Bolin and Opal had gone to stay with the children at Izumi’s. Wei disappeared for a time but came back, looking worried. “Qi won’t talk to me,” he told Mako, who just silently poured himself another glass of whiskey. The three of us went to bed after that, but there was simply no point for me. I wasn’t going to sleep, certainly. Mako had finally dropped off and so I crept out of the room, not even bothering with my slippers or my robe.

I carefully picked my way around the perimeter of the house before I saw a shadowy shape alone on the beach. I made my way over and sat down next to Qi and, for once in my life, kept silent. We sat there for quite a long time, saying nothing as we listened to the waves foam and hiss across the sand. The moon was new, of course, so it was quite dark, the only illumination coming from the few lit electrical lights of the cottages nearby and the spangle of stars overhead. Mako had put out the bonfire before we’d gone to bed.

Qi finally said something, but I couldn’t hear it. I moved myself closer, pressing myself up against Qi.

“Pardon?” I said, craning my head closer.

“I just wanted to say that I don’t think a man deserves to die because he’s a thief. Anything they would have taken, it wouldn’t have mattered to us, we could have just replaced it. But he had a knife going towards the Butterfly, and that’s not the same.” I felt, rather than saw, Qi turn to face me. “I ain’t sorry.”

“I’m not sorry either,” I said. And I wasn’t, Progeny, not at all. Unlike my royal predecessors, I do not feel that I am somehow exalted enough to decide who lives or dies. But if you attempt to harm my children, then even death isn’t good enough for you. This is not entirely a civilized way of thinking, Progeny. But it is how I feel, nevertheless.

“Didn’t think you, of all people, would be,” Qi said, and then turned back at the water. There was a long pause, then: “Is the Butterfly okay?”

I tucked my arm into Qi’s. “She’s okay. Shaky, yes, but okay. Lin and LoLo took her to sleep with them tonight.”

“Good,” said Qi. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow. Today.”

We were quiet for a time. It wasn’t quite dawn yet, but the sky was starting to lighten, just a little, waiting for color to burst and streak across the horizon.

“I read that book, you know. _All Roads Lead To Desire._ I didn’t know you had written it.” I could hear the hint of a smile in Qi’s voice. “I should have guessed.”

“I was actually trying to keep it under wraps. I wasn’t trying to be coy or anything like that. But you know, the character of the driver wasn’t supposed to be you.”

“I know that. She wasn’t really like me except for the part where she was a driver for a royal.”

“I’ll admit that I sometimes might get inspiration from our lives but I’m not writing about us.”

“Like I said, that’s clear to me. I’m not pissed about it or anything. Mako’s probably going to throw a fit, but Mako’s Mako and I’m me.”

“To say the very least.”

“Thing is, though, is that I’ve been thinking about them. Your books, I mean. In between cutting throats and all.”

“Qi!”

That got me a small chuckle, more a breath of laughter than anything else. “I’m just teasing you. I don’t take killing a man lightly, believe me. I’m not forgetting about it or anything. But the thing is…” Qi moved Qi’s arm so my hand slid down and Qi took my hand in Qi’s hand. “The thing is, now that I realize that you wrote that book, even if it wasn’t about me it made something clear to me.”

“It did?”

I could see the outline of Qi’s nod in the murk of the encroaching dawn. “It did.” We sat there for a moment, Qi holding my hand, before Qi turned into me, pulling me off balance, my arms automatically flinging out in my surprise. Qi ignored my arms and cupped one hand around the back of my head, the other hand wrapping around my jaw, moving my mouth right next to Qi’s. “You never see anything in front of you,” Qi said, and then Qi was kissing me, mouth simultaneously firm and gentle and no-nonsense about it, just like what you’d expect a kiss from Qi to be. I was so shocked by this turn of events that I forgot to close my own mouth and Qi took advantage of that as well, sliding Qi’s tongue in there. I made some sort of a noise, which made Qi’s fingers tighten on me. My arms just kept dangling out there, I’m sorry to say. It was not very dignified of me, but in my own defense I cannot think of the last time someone astonished me quite so intensely.

Oh, Progeny! My fingers are still trembling a little, holding the pen. I still don’t know what to think. Not if the kiss was good - oh, it was a good kiss, it was a very good kiss, I am not sure where Qi learned to kiss like that but it opened up something huge and wanting and secret in me, made me feel like the entirety of the universe was rushing through me, like it was filling me, making me bloom with desire. I kept making those little gasping noises, but I couldn’t have stopped kissing Qi even if I had wanted to.

I don’t think I wanted to? Oh, I don’t know what to think! I loathe not knowing what to think!

Progeny, I was so discombobulated and aroused by the whole thing that when Qi finally pulled away all I could do was open my eyes and goggle at Qi with my mouth still hanging wide open.

“Use that head of yours for something else than a stylish haircut,” Qi said, before shaking Qi’s head and scoffing at me. “You big dummy.” And with that Qi pulled me up, dusted the sand off of my silk pajamas, stuck Qi’s hands in Qi’s pockets, said, “Come on then, I’m not leaving you out here alone,” and started to walk back towards the cottage, leaving me to stumble after Qi with the sun painting the first strokes of rose and gold across the sky and my head in a whirl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shout out to the Tumblr Anon who reminded me of _Love Amongst The Dragons._ I owe you one!


	7. In Which Things Are Made Clear And A Parade Is Attended

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wu does a great deal of talking and then goes to watch the New Year's Parade.

Ember Island  
Midwinter, Tigerdillo Month, 5th Day, 186 AG  
Morning into Afternoon

 

When I woke the house was quiet. I lay in bed for a few moments listening; Mako was still asleep next to me, but I wasn’t sure about anyone else. Barring Naoki the children were at Izumi’s and the house staff had today off, of course. I know the sounds of our home in Republic City intimately; the muffled clatter of the pipes in Zhi’s bathroom that no plumber and no amount of yuan has been able to cease, the third stair from the bottom that creaks and the hitch and thump of everyone, from Mako to Meili, hopping over it, the barely heard melody of LoLo’s cheerful whistling from the kitchen. This cottage, though, was full of unfamiliar sounds. I wasn’t used to them yet.

I slid myself out of bed and did my morning forms. I was still very tired but there was no point in trying to go back to sleep. Once I am awake in the morning then I am awake for good, unfortunately. I belted on my robe and crept out, listening. I could hear Ikki’s snoring from all the way down the hall, of course, but no one else seemed to be up and about, so after reorienting myself I made my way to the kitchen to put on a kettle to boil. I will never be any kind of a cook, I fear, but at least I can manage tea!

I had no idea what time it was but as I waited for the tea to steep I watched out the windows to the back garden. It’s very pretty there; the blooms are of a far more vivid color than those back home and it runs a bit wild. I quite like it that way, Progeny. Our garden at home is fashionably stylized and exquisitely kept up, not a blade of grass out of place! But here there were blossoms scattered across the stone walkways and the grass was in need of a trimming. That’s how things are here on this Island; people are far more relaxed, willing to let things be, content with what they have. I am not a very easy going person, I’m sorry to say. I’ve always wanted to be, but I resemble a nervous little poodle monkey far more than an aardvark sloth. I still enjoy the garden here, however.

“I saw some toucan puffins out there last night,” said a voice near my ear and I made an undignified squawk and startled right into the air. Qi had snuck right in behind me. Well. I suppose I should not say _snuck_ , precisely; Qi is always eerily silent.

“Qi, please! Give a man some warning.” I held my hand over my swiftly beating heart as Qi smirked, stepping back away from me to fetch two tea cups and saucers.

“Everyone else is still sleeping. It’s only nine in the morning. Why aren’t you still in bed?”

“Now is that nine in the morning our time or this time?”

“Wu.” Qi shot me a look, pouring the tea.

“You know I can’t make heads nor tails of it. Ah, thank you.” I took the proffered cup and saucer from Qi’s hands. “I suppose I should gather up the children’s clothes and take them to Izumi’s, hmm? Or does it count as them not wearing new clothes for the New Year if they walk home in their clothes from last night? I’m sure there must be a book of etiquette that details this sort of thing, but I’ve never read it, you know, when you are royalty you wear new clothes every day. It’s true! You and Mako laugh at me for how many suits I own but when I was a child it was a new robe every day, my gracious, and I do still wonder, what on earth did they do with all of the old ones? Dispose of them? Burn them? Give them away to charity? Well no, I don’t suppose Hou-Ting would have allowed that, the very idea that some other boy would wear something that had touched my imperial loins, as it were-”

“Wu,” Qi said, taking the saucer out of my hand and dumping the tea that had sloshed into it with my nervous quivering into the sink, “You’re babbling.”

“Well, I’m not sure that I would necessarily call it _babbling_ as such-”

Qi put a finger to my mouth. “Hush.” I hushed. Qi put the saucer back into my hand and gently turned me around to face the window again. “Drink your tea before it gets cold.” I obediently took a swallow. Qi took up Qi’s tea and stood next to me, Qi’s shoulder nearly touching mine. “You’re all worked up because I kissed you last night and you don’t know what to do about it.”

“I’m not sure-”

“Be a good boy and drink your tea,” Qi interrupted. I took another swallow. “Now we could pretend it didn’t happen, which is how Mako likes to operate, but I’m not Mako. Or we could work ourselves into a frenzy trying to figure it all out in our heads which is how you like to handle things, but I’m not you, either. I’m me, so you are going to drink your tea and I’m going to just up and tell you why I did that. Got it?”

“Yes, Qi,” I said, and to show I was a very good boy I took yet another swallow of my tea.

Qi sipped and stared out into the garden. “You wrote something, in _All Roads Lead To Desire,_  that got me to thinking. The driver is taking the princess in disguise to escape her wedding, and the princess gives that speech about loyalty and duty towards the crown and her family always having to come first before love and how she is not only letting down her kingdom but also all of her ancestors by running away.” Qi took a few more sips before continuing. “I think we forget sometimes, Mako and I, that your world growing up was nothing even close to ours. I was damn well offended about how you asked me to marry you. Not that I ever held out a lot of hope that anyone was actually going to ever ask me or anything,” here Qi made a very Beifong-esque snort, “but I can tell you that the proposal of my dreams didn’t include discussions of allowances or contractual obligations about sex.”

My eyes filled up at that point, Progeny. Qi noticed and sighed, putting Qi’s own cup down and taking mine away from me to do the same. “Now don’t cry, I’m not finished.” Qi gave a little hop and sat atop the counter, taking my hand and kissing it. “The thing is, though, is that the princess explains how negotiating the terms of the marriage contract shows respect for the people involved, how just up and asking someone off the cuff to marry you would be considered childish and more than a little insulting, like you didn’t even value your potential spouse enough to prove that you were capable of seeing to their future welfare, health and happiness. Is that right?”

I nodded. Qi gazed at me for a long moment. “I’ve never really heard the story of how Mako proposed, but I’m assuming he just up and asked Republic City style, right?” I nodded again and Qi pursed up Qi's mouth. “So here I am getting all pissed off at you when you were just trying to do your best for me in the way you were taught to do it. You were just trying to be respectful of me, weren’t you?” I nodded a third time and a tear escaped. Qi reached out and wiped it away. “Why wouldn’t you just tell me that? No, never mind, you didn’t because I was all pissed at you and then moved out.” Qi shook Qi’s head. “Well, I fucked that up, didn’t I?”

I sniffled and Qi reached out and pulled me into Qi’s arms, still sitting on the counter. “I just wanted you to know how important it was to me. I didn’t want you to think it was some whim of mine.” Now the tears were coming, and the snot was making an appearance as well. “I know I can be impulsive but I really had thought it through because it was important.”

Qi rested Qi’s forehead against mine. “In the book the asshole prince gets the marriage contract signed and it’s after that when he starts to woo the princess. So that’s what would have happened here?” I nodded, and made a horrible snuffling noise. Qi looked around and then picked up a dishtowel and handed it to me. I gave it a bit of a glare before glancing back at Qi, who shrugged, as if to say _What do you want me to do about it?_ Well, it was better than wiping my nose on my sleeves, which Zhi is wont to do. I blew my nose into it with a very loud honk. Qi took the towel out of my hands and wiped at my eyes. “Soon as Huan said it was you that wrote it that scene immediately came to mind. That book was published, what, five years ago?”

“Four,” I said, and took the towel back to blow into it again.

“Why didn’t you say anything? It’s been months!” I shrugged and looked away from Qi. Qi wasn’t having it, however. “Wu...you needed to say something. I don’t read minds. I know I fucked it up, but this could have been resolved months ago if you had just sat me down and knocked some sense into my head.”

“You hurt my feelings,” I muttered, and Qi snorted at me.

“Who are you, Meili? Yeah, I got my shorts in a twist and acted the fool and hurt your feelings. And I’m sorry for it, damn sorry. But come on, you have to talk to me here. You know I’m no good at that back and forth game you and Mako play with each other. It’s just not who I am. You have to be upfront with me.” Qi reached out and hooked a finger into the belt of my robe and tugged me a little closer. “I want you to tell me why it’s so important in your culture that I marry you and not Mako. No, don’t turn your face away from me. Just tell me, Wu.”

I sighed. “It’s...I’m the Hou-Ting, not Mako.” Qi raised Qi’s eyebrows while shrugging and I tsked in return. “Well. I...well, Qi, this is indelicate!”

Qi sighed and moved forward to rest Qi’s forehead against mine. “Wu, spit it out. I’m not very delicate, you know. I’m pretty sure you won’t break me.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Fine. If there were to be a child it would be considered mine and not Mako’s, and that would actually matter in terms of inheritance, the family name, etcetera. I know it isn’t something that you’d probably worry about, but as the last living member of the Hou-Ting family it actually does have some significance for me.” Qi pulled away very slowly, expression blank. “Qi, I’m not asking you for a child. Believe it or not, I am actually very happy with the three we have. But accidents can happen and...I...oh, Qi, I...I accept you for who you are, I do, but…” I trailed off, very unhappy.

Qi was silent for a time, staring down at the floor. “I don’t want kids.” A sharp move from Qi’s hand. “I don’t mean the ones we have. I just mean that I’ve never wanted to have any of my own. I have no interest in that.”

“I respect that, and as I said, I’m not asking. There are absolutely no expectations from me on that score. But I have to recognize that things can happen.” I took a deep breath. “I don’t…I’m sorry, I’m making a hash of this.”

“No, there’s no point in pretending it’s not a possibility. Me having the body I do.”

“I’m sorry, Qi.”

Qi pushed out a gust of air and then looked back up at me. “Don’t be sorry. You’ve got more reason than most to bring it up. I know there are people out there pressuring you to have a child of your own.”

I held Qi’s gaze. “If a blood heir were important to me then I would find myself a proper noblewoman of good stock and do it that way. Do you understand? This is not about that. It was never about that. But it’s important to cover everything in a marriage contract. Especially when that contract involves a Hou-Ting.” I sighed. “Not to put too fine a point on it, but most people outside of Republic City consider Mako my concubine, no matter what I call him or his legal marital status. But you? They’d consider you an actual consort, and that’s because they would look at you and see a potential mother of my heirs. It’s not right, but there it is. They’ll never see you as anything but a woman.” I took a very deep breath. “But it’s more than that. If you were married to Mako it would...well, to be blunt, it would be a political, cultural and social disaster for me. To have a concubine that is married to someone else? It’s..it wasn’t even legal in the Earth Kingdom, and it still isn’t in any of the new countries that came out of that. They wouldn’t recognize the marriage.” I put a shaky hand to my temple. I am not exactly comfortable talking about these kinds of things, Progeny. Kings are not raised to explain themselves. I know better now; I know that if I do not wish to be a tyrant I owe explanations to the people I love and I do the best I can. But it will never be easy for me.

“People are going to see me as a woman whether or not I’m married to you. Especially now that I’ve started to let myself wear certain types of clothes, put on some makeup. It’s not your fault, that’s just how people are. I don’t like it, but I’m not stupid or naive enough to think that me saying otherwise is going to change most people’s minds. Maybe someday, but not today. All I can do is live my own life the way I’ve always done.” Qi’s mouth was set in a grim line and I reached out to briefly squeeze Qi’s hand.

“Qi, I mean it when I tell you that I have always accepted you for who you are. I don’t want you to change. I don’t want you to be my wife, because you’ll never be anyone’s wife. You would be my consort and I would tell everyone that you are neither a woman nor a man but just a Qi, the same way I always have. But this whole marriage to me and not Mako thing...I know I am being a selfish coward and that it shouldn’t matter to me. I try not to let it matter, I really do.”

“But it does matter. You’re a prince. A Hou-Ting.” Qi’s eyes were locked onto my own.

I nodded. “I am. I may be a refugee, I may have given up my crown, but I am who I am, Qi. I have given up so much, and every single day of my life I live in ways that are anathema to who I am and how I was raised. To my bloodline, especially. Living in a private home, raising my children that I took off the street on my own, not having a full complement of Dai Li, keeping strictly out of politics. The only reason I get away with it and am not a complete and utter social pariah is because I live in Republic City where thumbing your nose at royalty is considered fashionable. I could never go back to live in Ba Sing Se, you know. Not unless I were to give up all of you.” I raised up a hand. “Mind you, I have no desire to go back to Ba Sing Se. Nevertheless the fact remains that I’m a joke there, an object of scorn and derision. There’s a reason why Willow hates me so thoroughly, and she’s far from alone. And maybe I shouldn’t care at all. But I do. I may not bring it up, but I do. A great deal, if I am honest. I know this does not make me a particularly admirable person but at least I hope I can be an honest one. And if you don’t want to marry me because of it, I would understand. I wouldn’t blame you.”

Qi was silent for a time, watching me. Thinking, in that way that Qi does, the cogs of Qi’s sharply intelligent mind moving together until a conclusion is reached. Finally, when the tension felt so unbearable that I was about to pull away just to break it, Qi nodded and reached out to put a hand on my shoulder. “Okay. I understand now. I mean that, Wu. I understand why it is you need me to not only be married but to be married to you.”

My shoulders sagged from relief; I hadn’t even realized that I had been so tightly wound. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay.” Qi leaned forward again and rested Qi’s forehead against mine and we let it be for a few moments in time; Qi sitting on the counter, me standing in between Qi’s knees, letting our breathing synch as we let the conversation settle. After a time Qi pulled back away, and I opened my eyes to see Qi gazing at me with a bit of a smile, which widened.

“So now that we got that all worked out I guess you still want to know why I kissed you, right?” My face started heating up and I tried to back away but Qi wasn’t having any of that, reaching out with Qi’s legs to hook Qi’s feet around the back of my thighs. Qi leaned in very close again and said, in that soft voice, “It’s easy. I kissed you because I wanted to.” And then, Progeny, sitting there on the kitchen counter, keeping me close, Qi kissed me again.

I’m sorry to report that I didn’t handle that kiss with any more aplomb than the first one, Progeny. It’s not that I was somehow offended by it. I certainly was not repulsed by it! But I was confused by it, however. And as I think I may have mentioned a few times prior, kissing is known to distract me, there are no two ways about it. I simply can’t think when I am being kissed. (Something your great-grandfather has used many times to his advantage, may I add.)

Qi kissed me very thoroughly and then pulled away from me with a little grin. “When we get home, we’re going to go to your lawyer’s office and sit down and look at that marriage contract. I get to make changes if I want to, right?”

I nodded, trying desperately to focus on the subject at hand. “Of course...uh...naturally. It’s...um...uh, what is expected. A negotiation. Oh! OH!” Qi had chosen at that moment to use Qi’s teeth to tug at my earlobe. I must tell you, Progeny, that my perfidious earlobe did not care a single whit as to who, exactly, was doing the nibbling. My body reacted as it always does, my hips arching up as I gasped.

“Huh. Seen Mako do that, just wondered if I could manage it.” Another little tug and then a lick. I moaned involuntarily. “Seems so.”

“Oh, Qi, please...I don’t…”

“You don’t what? Don’t know that I’m tired of waiting for you to figure it out?” Qi ran Qi’s nose along my temple, breath ghosting across my skin. “Or did you just think this was some silly kid’s crush?”

“I didn’t…I’m not...” I was frantically trying to think of anything to say, but my faculties of speech had gone right out the window with the tropical blooms.

Qi rested Qi’s head against mine for another moment before pulling away. “Because I’m not really sure that the whole no sex required thing in the marriage contract is going to work out for me. I think we’re going to need some negotiation.” With that Qi unhooked Qi’s legs, slid to the floor, and sauntered out of the kitchen without looking back; a cocky strut, wearing nothing but one of Mako’s old undershirts and a pair of sleeping trousers, worn thin with use.

“Well, we’re going to negotiate some new sleepwear for one,” I called after Qi, hand to my pounding heart, and got no response but one of Qi’s gritty chuckles from around the corner. I made my way to one of the kitchen chairs and sat down before I fell down.

 

Eventually LoLo got up and insisted on making a hot breakfast, turning his nose up at the cold things that had been left to us in the icebox by the cook. At least he forwent using any knives. Lin just rolled her eyes at him as she shuffled out in her tatty old robe, grumping until she got some tea. She told me that Naoki was still sleeping and that we should let her sleep as long as she wanted and I certainly agreed. It had been quite a night for her.

I had already been out to the veranda and had seen that it was scrubbed clean; I hunted down Qi to ask and Qi denied any knowledge of it. I knew for a fact that it hadn’t been Mako. I was saying something about it to LoLo when Huan came into the kitchen, his long hair loose and rioting around his head like nothing more than a clump of agitated snakes. “Oh, that was me,” Huan said as he took the cup of tea LoLo handed him. “I didn’t want Naoki to see it and feel bad.” When I started to thank him he just put the tea cup down and hugged me. “She’s a very good bender but she’s just a little girl. Sometimes when little girls see frightening things they can still have nightmares about it years and years later and wake up crying. I don’t want her to have nightmares like that.”

Eventually Mako and Ikki joined us. Mako was extremely disgruntled that there was no newspaper to be had; matters did _not_ improve when Ikki asked him if he wanted to read one of my books over breakfast instead. Naturally LoLo wanted to know what that was about; when Ikki told him he laughed so hard that Lin threatened to douse him with cold water as he nearly folded over on top of himself. “Oh, my boy,” he said, wheezing, wiping at his eyes and patting me on the back, “There’s never a dull moment.” Lin just looked at me with weary fortitude. “Of course you did,” she said, and snorted her opinion of that.

We were just finishing up our admittedly late breakfast (more like lunch, really) when the Republic City Beifongs came in the front door. Bolin had Meili on top his shoulders; she sat there in her underwear, utterly at ease in her position as favored darling. _A princess in nothing but her panties._ Oh, Progeny! The utter scandal of it all! Generations of my Hou-Ting ancestors reached all the way from their exalted resting ground in the sacred cemetery of Ba Sing Se to point their fingers at me whilst crying out, “SHAME!” (That they are all still there came as a very great surprise to me when I returned to Ba Sing Se. Apparently the Dai Li who were on guard duty at the cemetery when my great-aunt was killed defended it from grave robbers and other assorted hooligans quite stringently on that day and the days to follow. For which I am quite grateful, you may believe. My mother is there.)

Naoki woke up from all the noise; LoLo fed her (as well as San, who was quite content to eat another meal, that child eats like nothing I have ever seen, I cannot even begin to contemplate what his teenage years will be like) and all us of were eventually bathed, groomed and dressed in our new clothes for the New Year. The New Year parade was going to be starting sometime in the late afternoon (I assumed Mako would come and shout for me when he wanted me to leave as he usually does) and we all planned on going to that. I knew that Nuo was going to leave Rose here with Huan, however. It is for the best. She’s quite terrified of loud noises and strange things; all of the noisy little firecrackers children set off and the music and gongs and such would be far too much for her. Huan is no better, really.

I told Mako that I needed to run over to Izumi’s for a bit and promised I’d be back in plenty of time to get ready to go to the parade. He just nodded at me and refused to look at me. My heart sank. I put my arms around him from behind.

“I know you’re angry-”

“It’s not that I’m angry. I’m hurt about it, okay? Why wouldn’t you tell me? Did you think I’d think it was stupid or something? I don’t. If anything, I’m impressed that you can do it.”

“No, it wasn’t that.” I rested my cheek against his warm back. “Mako...I’ve never had anything to myself. I’ve never even lived on my own. All my life I’ve been accountable for every single thing I’ve ever done, in one way or the other. And for once in my life I just wanted to do something on my own, without tutors or advisers or bodyguards or even husbands. I wanted to try, at least. And the first one sold very well; far better than I had expected or even hoped. And my agent, she wanted me to write another one, and I got the idea for it and I thought, I may as well. It just went from there.” I tightened my arms around him. “I swear to you, none of us are in them. I’m not writing about us. You can read them, or ask Qi or Nuo, or even Lin, I know she’s read them, I’ve caught her at it. I would never put our private lives on display, I swear to you.”

He turned and pulled me into a hug. “I still wish you would have told me, but I get why you did it. And I don’t need to ask anybody if we’re in them or not. If you tell me we’re not then I trust you.” He kissed me then. “You better go before Nuo comes after you, I’m surprised she hasn’t shown up yet.”

“Are you sure you aren’t angry?”

He huffed out a sigh. “Go ahead and go have it out with Nuo, we won’t have any peace until you do. Just let me get over myself, okay?”

I left him then. I do think he’s still a little angry about it, Progeny, but he asked me to leave him alone about it and I have learned, over the years, to take him at his word when he asks me to do that. Sometimes Mako needs to wrestle with his own dark spirits alone.

I knocked on the door to Izumi’s cottage; I had no idea if her house staff was there or not, and I wasn’t about to just waltz in like I owned the joint. A voice called for me to go on in; when I looked over I saw Iroh lounging in a hammock placed on the veranda, in one of those appalling caftans they are so fond of wearing here on the island. It isn’t even a proper robe, Progeny! It is a garishly colored sack with short sleeves! They wear nothing whatsoever underneath them! Iroh’s was white with a floral pattern of green, red and yellow. I would rather stroll about in my own underwear than been seen in one of those! He is a military man! Have they no standards at all? You would certainly never see one of the Dai Li swanning about in one of those atrocities! I am, quite frankly, astonished that his mother allows it! And it was at ~~one o’clock~~ ~~two o’clock~~ some point in the afternoon! And they had house guests! LoLo wears one of them to sleep in but he certainly does not parade about in it!

I cannot begin to express to you how perfectly offended I was, Progeny! It was only made worse by Iroh waving a copy of _The Wrath of the Unagi_ in front of my nose and saying, “This isn’t half bad, Wu. You should autograph it for my mother.”

_That fucking Iroh, indeed!_

I made some sort of polite greeting and fairly flew past him into the house. I saw Wing, first; he had a half-dressed Rose on his hip and grinned at me. “I take it you’re here for my wife?” Without waiting for an answer he called, “Nuo, Wu’s here.” _Stamp stamp stamp_ came the sound of Nuo’s house slippers. Even if she isn’t wearing heels she has a very distinctive walk. She had Poppy instead of a clipboard in her hands and her eyes narrowed as she advanced her way across the room to me.

“Well, if it isn’t the Pool of Golden Blooms himself,” she said, her tone icy. Wing winced behind her.

“I’m not here to talk about that, actually,” I said. One of her perfectly shaped eyebrows scrolled up very slowly. I leaned in very close to her ear. “Qi kissed me. Twice.” She took a step back and stared at me for what felt like several agonizing years.

“Wing, take the baby,” she said, and he immediately stepped up and took Poppy into his free arm. “You. Outside. March.” And then, Progeny, she actually reached over and took my royal ear into her grasp and as I squeaked in protest she started to hustle me right back out the front door.

“Don’t kill him, honey, he’s the last remaining Hou-Ting,” called Wing behind us, laughter in his voice, which turned into real laughter as Nuo flashed him a particularly obscene gesture with her fingers.

Nuo escorted me - by my ear! She would have been executed for that, and well she knows it! - over to a little bench set in the shade of a flowering tree. She let go of me and sat down, arms crossed, glaring at me. “Spill it,” she ordered.

“Nuo! I cannot believe you took me by my ear! It’s not what’s done!”

“You’re lucky I didn’t kick you in your skinny ass. Seven books, Wu! Seven!”

Skinny ass! My word, Progeny! I nearly passed out from the shock, you can believe me! What is this world coming to? People kissing one out of turn and one’s daughter out in public in her underwear and Iroh in a caftan and being told one is a wet blanket and having one’s royal ear mauled about and being told that one has a skinny ass! As it happens my derriere _is_ a little on the lean side but one hardly need point it out to me! I crossed my arms over my chest and sniffed at her. “Now you are just being offensive.”

She looked at me, and to my horror, I saw tears in her eyes. My Nuo never cries! “I thought we were best friends.”

“Nuo! How can you say it! We are!”

“Outside of Wing you are the only friend I have. The only good one, I mean. I never had any friends growing up, you know no one liked me.” One tear made its slow way down her cheek and I immediately whipped out my handkerchief and caught it. “And here you did this thing - this huge important thing, something you even won an award for - and you never told me.”

Now my eyes were filling up. “Nuo, please don’t cry. I didn’t tell anyone. It’s like I told Mako, it’s the only thing in my life I have ever done on my own, with any kind of privacy or without any kind of help or advice. It’s not about not wanting to share it with you. I just wanted, for once in my life, to have something that was mine and mine only.”

“Well, Huan blew that right out of the water.” She gave a watery little laugh that ended on a sob.

“Oh Nuo, please don’t. I have told you everything else in my life.” I put my arms around her. “Didn’t I come and tell you about Qi! You know I haven’t said anything about it to anyone else!”

“You better not have,” she said, and yanked my hankie away to wipe at her cheeks. “Don’t start snotting, Wu, there’s only one hankie.” She dabbed at her eyes, took a deep breath and sat up straight, in control of herself as she almost always is. I don’t know that she has ever let anyone but Wing or me see her otherwise. “Well, you had better tell me what happened with Qi.”

“We’d all gone to bed last night. This morning. Whatever. But no matter what I did I couldn’t sleep. So much excitement, you know, and even though of course I knew Meili and Zhi would be perfectly safe at Izumi’s I couldn’t help but fret and you know how I get when I start to fret! Before we went to bed Wei had told Mako and me that Qi wouldn’t talk to him, so after tossing and turning and checking to see that Qi wasn’t in Qi’s room, I went looking for Qi. It was completely dark, new moon and all, I could hardly see a thing that wasn’t illuminated by the stars.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Nuo said, and nudged me with her foot. “Get on with it.”

“Well, really! Can’t a man tell about his own kissing in his own way!” I gave her my best glare. As always, she was unimpressed.

“He could if we had hours to spare, but unless you want to be overrun with little girls screeching for their mother in the middle of a juicy part, step it up.”

I sniffed. “Hmph. In any case, I found Qi and sat down next to Qi, and we talked a little about my books. And then Qi told me that I never saw anything in front of me and kissed me.” I frowned. “Well, really, it’s very flat when you make me tell it like one of Mako’s police reports.”

She ignored this to nod slowly, her mouth pursed up. “Well, Qi isn’t wrong, of course. You don’t usually see what’s in front of you. And what about the second time?”

“I beg your pardon! I do so see what is in front of me!”

“No, you don’t. So what, was it this morning or something? Oh, quit trying to glare at me, when has that ever worked for you? Just get on with the second kiss part.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and turned my head away. Really, a pivotal moment in my life and she was telling me to get on with it!

“Stop sulking. You’re worse than Orchid.”

“Nuo!”

She put an arm around me. “Wu, my love, I’ve left Wing with four little girls in varying states of undress. He is fully capable, of course, and never resentful, but even still. I do want to hear all of your wonderful details, but perhaps we can go into that tonight after the girls have all gone to bed?”

I took a deep breath, my face heating up a bit. “I apologize. I was being thoughtless. Of course we can go over the details later.”

“Thank you, dearest.” She kissed me on my blushing cheek. “Now, this morning?”

I told her - with as few embellishments as I could manage, no easy task for me! - what had happened in the kitchen. She said nothing as I laid it out for her, just nodding a bit and watching my face closely. When I had finished she smiled at me.

“You know, if I had not asked Wing to dance with me at your coronation, I think we’d still be in the stage of-” and here she cut herself off to make a face with a goggle-eyed stare, mouth hanging open. I immediately started to laugh.

“That’s terrifyingly accurate, my gracious. Poor Wing.”

“Oh that man,” she said, with evident fondness. “Stammering at me, telling me my eyes looked like dirt, jam all over his face. If I had left it up to him we’d both still be single.” She patted my knee. “My dearest, you’ve never been without words of course, but you really are famous for not seeing what is in front of you. Everyone’s known for years how Qi feels about you. Knowing Qi, I’m frankly surprised Qi waited this long.”

“I know Qi always had a bit of a crush-”

“Wu, you’ve been dismissing Qi’s depth of feeling for you for years. Yes, perhaps at first it was a crush, but it’s been more than that for quite some time now. You know Qi is a person who knows exactly what is going on at all times. It’s not even just Qi’s training with Yumi, it’s who Qi is as a person. I’ll admit that I didn’t see it at first with Mako, but I venture to say that that was probably due to Qi’s own conflicting feelings about the whole thing.” She appraised me for a moment. “I expect that the fact that you’ve always been so resolutely attracted to men had a lot to do with Qi’s reluctance to act as well.” I started to protest, but she held up a hand. “Wu, I understand that Qi is not a woman. I’ve understood the full implications of that longer than you have, certainly. It’s always been very clear that it’s how things are with Qi, clear since the beginning. That being said?” Here she smiled at me and patted my knee again. “Dearest, you’ve got a habit of only dealing with what you want to deal with, and while you’ve always accepted Qi’s for who Qi is I don’t believe you’ve ever stopped to think what that actually means for _Qi_.”

I opened my mouth. I shut my mouth with a snap.

Nuo nodded. “Exactly. Now, it’s never mattered for Mako, of course. It’s clear that Mako is attracted to certain types of people but gender doesn’t seem to play into that at all for him. Or at least not that I’ve ever seen. But that’s not how it is for you. After all, you have never felt the least bit of sexual attraction for me, correct?”

I felt my face reddening again. “Well...no. I mean, please don’t take offense!”

She showed those dimples at me. “I never have. But can you understand why it would be so difficult for Qi? Qi told you that Qi is neither a man nor a woman, yet you’ve continued to see Qi’s body, at least, as female. Therefore, as far as you’ve been concerned, Qi can never be someone you are attracted to.”

I felt like someone had dropped a large boulder on my head. I was stunned, Progeny; stunned beyond speech or even coherent thought.

She leaned over and kissed my cheek. “As we’d say back in the Lower Ring, I think you need to pull your head out of your ass and think about things without all your own shit clogging it up.”

I was in such a state that I couldn’t even respond to that sort of crass vulgarity, which should tell you about my frame of mind, Progeny!

Contrary to popular belief, I am well aware that I am not perfect. Oh, don’t mistake me; as a royal prince I was raised to believe that I was better than everyone else. More worthy, more entitled, more everything, really. I was certainly not raised to be self-critical! My time as a refugee in Republic City taught me that while I was certainly more wealthy than anyone, I was not quite as exalted as I had been raised to believe. It was quite the shock, I can assure you. I know I have many faults, even if I do try not to dwell on them.

It is not that I think that I cannot be blind to what is right in front of my rather substantial nose. I know I can! It is just that I do not always come to an understanding of what I am being obtuse about unless someone points it out for me. It’s a deficiency, I know.

Luckily, I have Nuo. I know some people find her brash and pushy and more than a little meddlesome. She loves me, however, and when Nuo loves you she will do anything for you, including holding up your own mistakes in front of you with boundless courage and an unflinching resolve. Oh, I tell you, if I had stayed the King I would have found a way to have made her my Grand Secretariat. Sometimes, in the depths of my heart, I think that if I had known Nuo before I decided to step down, I may not have ever abdicated at all, but rather ruled with her as my stalwart right hand. The things we might have done together, Progeny!

I did abdicate, however, and she married a man who loves her exactly for herself. We do what we can with the lives we have, great-grandchild, and at that moment in time those lives included the nearly seven year old twins that were running our direction, holding hands as a determined Iris (who is my secret favorite of Nuo’s girls, how could she not be?) tugged along a rather breathless Orchid. They came to a skidding stop before me. Normally Nuo color codes her girls - Orchid in blue, Iris in yellow, Rose in pink, and baby Poppy in red, naturally - but today the twins were dressed in red and gold to celebrate the New Year. Both girls bowed in front of me.

“Felicitations and a prosperous and happy New Year, Uncle Wu,” said Iris, and Orchid put her hands on her chubby little knees, gasping.

“You ran too fast,” she told Iris, who scowled at her.

“Did not,” Iris shot back, and Nuo gently cleared her throat. With a smile I opened my arms wide and both girls threw themselves into my embrace.

“Happy New Year, Uncle Wu! Can we have our envelopes now?” cried Orchid, and laughing, I kissed them both.

“Well, it will certainly be a happy one! My gracious, aren’t I lucky to have two such marvelous girls give me their best New Year wishes!” I gave them each an extra kiss for good measure before digging into my breast pocket to present them with their red envelopes of money, which garnered me grateful kisses in return. Of course I was glad for the distraction from my own dazed thoughts with regards to Qi, but I do cherish Nuo’s daughters and was genuinely pleased to get a cuddle from them.

“Uncle Wu?”

I turned my gaze to Iris. “Yes, my love?”

“Do you think I could give Zhi the present I have for him today? Would it be okay?” Her little face, which, short her mother’s dark eyes and flashing dimples, is pure Beifong, was anxious.

“I think it would be fine. With your mother’s permission you may come back to our cottage with me.” Both girls looked at Nuo, who nodded and smiled at them.

“Can I come too?” Orchid perked up. She far more resembles her mother, although she is the only one of all four girls to have inherited those pale jade Beifong eyes. Pure Earth Kingdom nobility, those eyes. Orchid is a very pretty little girl, although not at all conceited about it, I am happy to say.

“It is fine with me, so long as Iris doesn’t mind?” I looked to Iris for permission, and the grateful look she gave me for it nearly broke my heart. She has all of her mother’s fierce intelligence as well as her grandmother’s willful tenaciousness; a powerhouse, this child, but she’s never easy, and adults do not usually appreciate those qualities. I fear she gets turned down far more often than she gets praised. I adore her, however. I cannot wait to see what she will become.

“Of course Orchid can come,” she said, and Orchid kissed her. Orchid has a sweetness about her, a sunny and complacent personality, that manages to charm most people. (Unlike my clever little  Meili, however, Orchid is completely unaware of the impact she has on people.) She and Iris could not be more different and more devoted to each other.

“Well then, why don’t you go and fetch your gift,” I said. “I will wait right here and then we can walk back together.” The girls scampered off and I smiled at Nuo. “I can just hold on to them until the parade, if you like.”

“Thank you,” she said. “Wing was going to come over and drop off Rose with Huan anyhow.”

We sat there on the bench, in the heat of the afternoon, waiting for the girls to return. I noticed that Nuo’s feet were bare; she’d clearly kicked off her house slippers as she dragged me out of the house but hadn’t bothered to put on any shoes. She has very small feet, Progeny, plump and dainty, just like the rest of her. I don’t believe I have ever really paid attention to her feet before. Add it to the list of truly odd things that were happening to me today. “So what should I do?” I asked, looking down at my own feet, clad in their customary shoes and stockings and spats. My feet were quite warm. Perhaps even a little sweaty, although it pains me to admit it. Princes should not sweat. Glisten, perchance. Maybe even perspire, depending on the location. However, sweating simply would not do.

“Who am I, your love guru?” Nuo said, and when I turned to gasp at her in affronted indignation she merely giggled at me and laid her head on my shoulder. “Oh, Wu,” she said, and tucked her arm into mine. “You need to put some thought into this. I’m happy to listen, you know I am. But I can’t give you the answers to this one. I shouldn’t. This is important. And you’re right, you know. You never have really done anything on your own without having people sticking their oars in, and that includes me. If you love Qi then you should really figure out what kind of love that is and what it means for the both of you. You certainly don’t need me to tell you that there are different kinds of love.”

“Well, I never thought that Nuo Beifong, of all people, would be reluctant to advise me!” I kissed her head to take the sting out of it. She wasn’t offended, though.

“My advice to you is to figure it out for yourself and to stop letting other people make up your mind for you because you’re afraid of personal responsibility.”

“Nuo!”

“Truth hurts,” she said, and then sat up as the girls came pounding back down the path to us, Iris carefully cradling a wrapped package to her chest. “Now, take my girls with you and maybe I can actually get two seconds to myself to drink a cup of tea and kiss my husband.”

The girls held my hands as we walked back to our cottage, Orchid chattering away and Iris uncharacteristically silent. Nervous about Zhi’s reception to her gift, I believe. Once we arrived we hunted Zhi down in the back garden with the rest of the children, getting impromptu rides on one of Ikki’s airballs. Iris marched straight over to Zhi and thrust the package at him.

“This is for you. Open it.” Oh dear. Poor Iris. Everything does sound like a demand with her. Zhi glanced at me and I nodded encouragingly.

“But it’s not my birthday,” he said, face scrunched up with bewilderment. His hands took the package, however.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s for you. From me. Daddy helped me with it a little bit, but it’s from me.” Iris had her hands on her hips, scowling.

“Oh, you’ll like it, Zhi!” Orchid giggled and clapped her hands. “Hurry up and open it!”

Zhi slowly tore the paper away, revealing a shadowbox frame. Nestled inside it was a moth, colored in dark blues and purples, hemmed in white, with two circles on each wing that resembled nothing so much as iridescent eyes. Zhi’s mouth opened in a perfect O of surprise. “It’s...it’s…”

“An amethyst moth,” Iris said. “I caught it in one of the caves outside of Zaofu. Daddy and I looked for months and months.”

“But...these are…” Zhi’s lower lip was quivering.

“Really rare, I know. It was very hard to find.” Iris squirmed a little, her face suddenly anxious. “Did we mount it okay? We got a book from the library that told us how to do it and Daddy helped. He made the frame, too. Is it okay? Is it right?”

He carefully lay the frame down on one of the garden benches and then threw his arms around Iris, squeezing her for all she was worth, speechless for once in his life. Iris’s face lit up with joy; she hugged him back.

“Now she’s happy,” Orchid said, and she gazed at her twin, eyes soft with love.

“But why?” Zhi asked, his arms still around her. Iris pulled back a little.

“My Mommy and your Papa are best friends and I thought we could be friends too. I know San is your best friend but Uncle Huan is also Uncle Wu and Mommy’s friend so it’s okay to have more than one best friend and I just want to be friends. I don’t really know how to be friends but I would try really hard. Can’t we be friends?” Iris bit her lip, painfully vulnerable. Ikki took in a little breath next to me. Zhi pulled back away from her and put his hands on her shoulders, his face solemn.

“We’re friends now. Forever and ever and ever. Pinky swear.” He held out his pinky and Iris hooked her own pinky into his, her eyes wide.

“That was really neat, Iris,” said San, in his quiet way. He patted her shoulder and smiled at her. Her smile in return was radiant. “I don’t mind if you want to be friends. But if you boss me around I’m going to tell you to knock it off, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Iris said. She threw her arms around San for a hug as well; San gingerly patted her back in a move that was more reminiscent of Mako than anyone else, really. In some ways San really does remind me of Mako more than his father. I suppose it is not all that surprising, seeing how much time he spends at our home. It is not to say his own father does not love him or pay attention to him, of course! That is simply not the case. Bolin is the one training his son to be an earthbender, after all, and it is clear to anyone with eyes how much he deeply and indeed openly loves all of his children. But Bu’s health being what it is, Bolin and Opal often end up spending a disproportionate amount of time focusing on him, leaving San to spend time with us or to train with Wei. San is a wonderful boy; a little on the taciturn side, yes, but intelligent and loyal, graced with a rather dry and sophisticated sense of humor. A very gifted earthbender, as well. He’s often overlooked because of Naoki’s showiness, I think, but to underestimate him would be a mistake. He’s very good indeed. A true Beifong, and one should not dismiss his father’s legacy, either. Mako says he’s sure San will master both metalbending and lavabending; if he does, he will be the only person in the world to do it. Sometimes it is hard to reconcile that with the green-eyed boy with the cowlicks silently eating an apple while listening to his cousin prattle on, but nevertheless, there he is. He and Zhi are simply inseparable and have been since the time a toddler San took his younger cousin by the hands and carefully guided him as Zhi took his first steps.

Ikki reached over to give a gentle tug on one of Orchid’s braids. “You want to go for an airball ride?”

“I do! I really do!” Orchid bounced up and down in her excitement. “Does Iris get a ride too?”

“Of course,” said Ikki, her eyes laughing. “Rides for everyone! Wu, too, if he wants one.”

I threw up a hand. “I will pass, in this heat. Zhi, my love, I will take your moth inside with me, shall I?”

“Thank you, Papa!”

 

After I put the moth into Zhi’s bedroom I went hunting for the other adults. Huan was sketching something on the veranda facing the ocean; I could tell by the way he was sitting, closed off to the world, that interrupting him would only lead to irritation, so I let him be. Bolin and Opal had opted to take a nap in the heat of the afternoon with baby Pearl; an extremely sensible idea, and one which I was quite seriously considering. I was overdressed and uncomfortable with it. I found Mako, Qi and Wei in the Conservatory, having one of those cool fruity drinks they serve here. There was an entire pitcherful of them; Mako informed me that LoLo had made it before he and Lin had gone for a swim. I threw myself down into a wicker chair and wilted.

“You look like a boiled crab,” Mako said. “Take off your jacket, at least.” I made a face at him but removed my jacket as Qi poured me a glass and handed it over.

“I am a trifle warm,” I said. Qi was wearing a sleeveless tunic and ankle-length knickerbockers, red and embroidered with gold. Wei was dressed much the same. Even Mako had on just a loose linen shirt and trousers, forgoing his customary left glove. It was only me that insisted on dressing for show. I was sorry, believe me. I polished off nearly half of my glass and gave a happy little sigh, however. Very refreshing! Oh, I am fond of those little drinks.

A loud shout came from outside and we all glanced out the wall of windows to see Naoki flying in tumble of arms and legs from Ikki’s airball. She landed flat on her back, laughing, only to have Bu pounce on her as she carefully rolled him over and pretended to wrestle with him. Mako frowned.

“I’m damn glad she’s okay but she is in more trouble than she knows for shooting off that lightning.” He glanced over at me. “I didn’t want to bring it up today with her, New Year and all, but what are we going to do about it? I told her not to do it without me. I should have known she’d go and do it alone behind my back.”

Qi sighed. “She didn’t do it alone.”

Mako turned his head slowly and fixed Qi with that gimlet gaze of his. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Qi met Mako’s gaze. “She’s been training with a firebender to learn it.”

Mako’s eyes narrowed. “LoLo doesn’t know how to generate lightning.”

“Not LoLo.” Qi grimaced slightly. “I’ve been taking her to train with Setsu.”

Mako whipped his head around to glare at Wei, who put his hands up in self-defense. “Don’t look at me, it’s the first I’ve heard of it.” He shook his head, looking at Qi. “With Set? Seriously?”

Qi nodded. “I asked her if she knew someone who could train Naoki and she told me she could.”

“Huh,” Wei said. “I didn’t even know she could do it. Not that I’m surprised or anything, she had all of the traditional training when she was a kid here in the Fire Nation, her great-grandmother was one of Firelord Zuko’s advisers or something like that.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Wait, Setsu is nobility?” I had no idea!

Wei shrugged. “Yeah. She doesn’t go into it much, she hasn’t spoken to her parents for years, they were completely against her going into pro-bending, family name, dishonor, all that typical aristocratic crap. But yeah.”

“Fascinating,” I murmured.

“You took Naoki to train with someone else and that was...just supposed to be okay, somehow?” Oh, Mako was incensed in that cold and deliberate way that is rare for him. Rare and a little terrifying, to be honest. Give me a shouting and stomping Mako any day over the one who held himself completely still, frigid fury in his eyes.

“I didn’t expect it was going to be okay with you. But I’m the one responsible for it, so you can come for me and leave her out of it. She’s been training hard with Set, and last night was the first time she’s done it without full supervision.” Qi wasn’t backing down under Mako’s temper, not a bit.

“She could have killed herself,” Mako roared, leaping out of his seat. Wei and I exchanged an alarmed glance. Qi merely raised Qi’s chin up, however.

“No, she couldn’t have. And do you know why? Because she’s been fully and completely trained and she knew what she was doing. She’s not the loose cannon half-trained bender that you were, Mako.” Qi’s arms crossed over Qi’s chest. “She’s a weapon, and you don’t leave a weapon in a sheath to dull and rust because you’re too afraid to wield it. It’s not fair for you to hold her back because of your own fear.”

“Oh shit,” Wei breathed out, eyes huge, darting between Mako and Qi.

“What did you just fucking say to me?” Mako was seething, fists clenched up in front of him.

“You heard me,” Qi said, as calm as ever. “You’re holding her back. And in a bender as gifted and ambitious as she is that’s not just foolish, it’s dangerous. Which you’d damned well acknowledge if you’d ever get over yourself.”

“He’s going to burn us all down,” murmured Wei, mouth dropping open. “Someone tell my mother I love her.”

Qi stood up slowly and deliberately to face Mako. “Meili’s a good little bender. She wants to learn, and because we are who we are, she’s got some of the best teachers out there. Kya? Korra? What other five year old has access to that calibre of training? She’ll do well for herself if she keeps it up, no doubt at all. But Naoki? She’s in an entirely different world. She’s in the once in a lifetime category. She’s got the potential to be the best, the very best. I know you know it.” Qi put a hand on Mako’s clenched fist. “I know it scares the shit out of you. You think it doesn’t scare me too? She could burn herself out. I know, Mako.”

“I can’t…” Mako’s face was pleading. Qi took both of his hands into Qi’s.

“You can’t hold her back and think that’s going to keep her safe. Because she’ll do it on her own; she’s too daring, too forceful not to. She’s a good kid and fuck knows she’s desperate to please you, but how long do you think that will stop her? She’s not a baby anymore. If we don’t make sure she’s trained then she’ll do it herself. Better that I take her to Set than close my eyes to reality and lie to myself that she’ll obey the rules like she did when she was small.” Mako clenched his teeth and looked away. Qi sighed. “Look. I know I’m not her real parent or anything-”

“More than I am, apparently,” Mako said, and strode out of the room. We fell into an awkward silence for a few moments.

“Well, at least none of us got charred,” said Wei, with the inconvenient timing those Beifong boys are rather notorious for.

“Fuck,” Qi said, and then Qi was the one fleeing the room.

Wei and I stared at each other, nonplussed. “Well, that was a fuck of a thing. Drink?” Wei finally said, holding up the pitcher.

“Hit me,” I rather weakly responded, and he did.

 

The parade was wonderful, however. We met up with everyone staying at Izumi’s; as we walked towards the main thoroughfare where the parade was going to be held we were treated to a lion dance, something that delighted the children to no end. Per Fire Nation tradition the lion danced around the flames that the firebenders of the group would carefully shoot its direction. I leave you to imagine how much Naoki loved this. Even Izumi shot forth flame, smiling as it came very close to the lion’s massive and brightly colored head. I realized at this point that Iroh was not with us; suspicious, I peered closely at the lion that was cavorting around the twins, making them giggle and shriek, nuzzling up to Nuo until she gave its head a swat with her fan, laughing. I was quite sure that one of the two dancers was Iroh and my suspicions were founded when the lion galloped over and circled around me and I heard Iroh’s chortles from inside its gaping jaws. He sprang away from me and leapt high into the air, supported by whomever was the lion’s tail, grabbing at the cabbage hanging from one of the street lamps, scattering leaves and money along with it, for which the children gleefully scrambled.

Mako had Meili up on his shoulders; the older children had strings of firecrackers that Naoki and Sozui were lighting for them. Poor Zhi was so overwhelmed that every time his firecrackers began to pop he’d let out with a shriek and throw them; finally, San just took Zhi’s away from him so they could hold them together. Musicians marched down the avenue, complete with gongs and bells and drums and a tiny woman adroitly playing a tsungi horn half her size. Pearl was bouncing up and down enthusiastically atop her own father’s shoulders and her screams of delight, her chubby fingers pointing, were getting plenty of smiles from the parade participants. Someone tossed a plush rabaroo into the crowd and Naoki gave a mighty lunge to snatch it out of the air; she immediately handed it up to her sister, who clasped it to her heart, cooing. At one point some of the dancers, perhaps recognizing the traditional airbender robes in saffron and red that the airbenders were all wearing that day, invited them to join in; all four of Tenzin’s children as well as Kai made their way along the route for a time, delighting the onlookers with dizzying eddies of wind and their own buoyant dancing, agile turns and twists, their feet barely skimming the ground. The onlookers were thrilled; I sincerely doubt they have ever seen airbending before.

Vendors made their way through the crowds, selling fruits, sweet rice cakes, dumplings and meat on sticks; Qi had brought a wallet and purchased whatever the children wanted, making sure to get food for the adults as well.

As a boy in the palace we had always strictly followed the traditions; we had our silent and formal New Year banquet and Hou-Ting made sure to give me a red envelope. On New Year’s Day a lion dancer would brought into the throne room to amuse me as I sat halfway up the dais, surrounded by Dai Li, careful to only show proper deference and afraid to even clap my hands. Today I stood there in the sunshine of the perpetually summery Island, just one of the crowd, with the noise and festive chaos, watching my children and nieces and nephews as they danced and laughed, eating a dumpling with my fingers, trying to keep sauce off of my chin. Oh Progeny! I was so very happy in that moment, happy and so thankful for my life, that I felt my eyes filling up. An arm slid around my waist; Mako, his gloved fingers tightening around me. I smiled up at him and he leaned over, Meili still on his shoulders, to kiss me. Meili reached down with her rabaroo to kiss me as well, and then she swiveled to have the rabaroo kiss Qi, who had materialized on Mako’s other side. Qi tipped her a wink before meeting Mako’s eyes, the smile slowly sliding off of Qi’s face at the look Qi saw there. I trod on Mako’s foot, which extracted a small grunt from him; with a sigh Mako slid his other arm around Qi’s waist and held on. “You were right,” Mako shouted over the crowd towards Qi, and the tension softened out of Qi’s back and shoulders. The crowd cheered; Naoki had done one of her astonishing backflips, tumbling backwards in six or seven loops, spraying controlled flame out of her hands and feet as she goes. (Thank goodness I generally keep the child in some sort of trousers, is all I have to say about it.) “I think that’s the princess that did that demi kai last year,” someone from the crowd shouted, and the three of us smiled at her slightly flushed face as she responded to the cheers with a grin and a little wave.

We stood there, the three of us, Mako holding us close, watching the parade until the great golden dragon slithered its way down the street towards us, sinuous coils undulating as the dancers within made it twist and turn, scales rippling in the sun. Its head released great bouts of flame, people in the crowd jumping back and laughing, the spectators who could bend throwing back their own well-aimed fire jets. Even LoLo got in on the action, shooting flame with a bit of a flourish, Bumi clapping him on the back and Lin rolling her eyes at him fondly. As it approached us Mako’s arms dropped from around our waists; he swung Meili down to the ground and handed her to Qi before nodding at Naoki and watching as she darted across to the other side of the street. As the dragon approached he made eye contact with her and took a stance before his arms wheeled into position and the sharp crackle that heralds his lightning snapped through the air. Mako can generate lightning in less than a second; he was, however, taking this slowly for Naoki’s sake. The lightning arced in a measured flare up and over the street to the gasps of the crowd as Naoki’s arms reached out and she took it within herself, redirecting it harmlessly into the empty sky. The crowd roared its approval. Naoki took a different stance and looked to her father for permission; he gave her one sharp nod and she glanced carefully about her before focusing her stance and bringing her own lightning forth, sending it across the street in a slower and less contained burst than Mako’s. He easily caught it, however, and, in a showy moment that was unusual for him, redirected it skywards in a double fusillade of searing ozone. Once he’d seen it safely gone, he looked back down at Naoki and nodded at her, a smile flickering across his face. Naoki dashed across the street and threw herself into his arms, and he held her tight, saying something into her ear, something that made her wrap her legs around his middle and bury her head into the crook of his neck. The dragon, which had been making its way towards us the entire time, stopped in front of Mako and Naoki, the large head quivering a bit as Naoki turned to stare at it. The entire dragon bowed at the two of them, as the crowd first quieted and then shouted as it shimmered back up again and continued its way down the lane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to the Anon on Tumblr who gave me _The Wrath of the Unagi._ You people are the BEST.


	8. In Which We Spend The Evening On The Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A picnic and bonfire on the beach; some get flirty and some lose their tempers. A midnight rendezvous.

Ember Island  
Midwinter, Tigerdillo Month, 5th Day, 186 AG  
Evening

 

LoLo had, at some point during the day, put together a large picnic meal. After the parade we all changed into our swimming things and trooped out to the beach in front of our cottage for the rest of the afternoon and evening. We had more than plenty of food and drink, a plethora of blankets, beach umbrellas and toys. The boys had even strung up a kuai ball net (which Iroh had dug out of storage from his mother’s cottage). Iroh, Juziya, Mako and Qi had their surfing boards, as did Wei (who has learned from Qi, apparently). Wing was game to learn and was extremely good-natured about spending a great deal of his time flying head first into the ocean. Wei had declared he wasn’t wearing a singlet if Huan wasn’t (Huan looked a little bemused at this statement; I don’t believe he really pays all that much attention to what other people are wearing, usually focusing on his own rather _unusual_ attire) and he tossed his off. Nothing would do but that Wing would follow suit; a maneuver which provoked his wife, sitting under a large umbrella with me, to give him quite a salacious look over the tops of her sun cheaters. Within the first hour all of the younger men (with the exception of myself, naturally, my gracious!) had cast away their singlets and were frolicking about barechested. I was certainly not complaining! In point of fact your great-grandfather got a little sassy (I blame the sun and a quite a few of those fruity drinks) and several times flexed his not inconsiderable musculature my way. My gracious! I made very good use of my fan to cool my rather overheated face, you may believe me!

Bumi, Kya and Tenzin borrowed surfboards for a time and took them out. Both Bumi and Tenzin turned out to be good surfers, but waterbending Kya is quite accomplished and she took Meili out with her, showing her several tricks. Meanwhile Wing and Wei had put together a game of kuai ball; Wei had Zhi, Mako, Meelo and Opal on his team while Wing took Sozui, Juziya, Qi and Ikki. Zhi dearly loves kuai ball and his exceedingly long legs are well suited for all of the kicking. Huan amused the other children by bending wonderful and whimsical sand palaces across the beach for them to play with. I had not known he could bend sand! I asked his mother about it when she came over to refresh her drink and she shook her head. “Even I don’t know what he can do. I’ve always just assumed my mother taught him whatever she knew. Lin and I can bend sand but it’s been years since I’ve done it and I think she’s the same.” The kuai ball came flying our direction and she slammed it back with her foot; Wei tried to cajole her into playing but she just waved him off with a laugh before wandering off to sit down and chat with Pema.

Unbeknownst to me LoLo had gotten Huan to help dig a fire pit into the sand the day before and he had been slow roasting whole pickens in it overnight. We ate them, hot enough to burn our fingers, as the children ran up and down the beach, having mock sword fights with the legs. There were chilled fruits and more dumplings and cold longevity noodles and Izumi had what appeared to be an unending supply of sweets for the children. She was in her own bathing suit, her hair pulled loosely back like a girl’s, sitting with Lin, actually laughing at whatever outrageous thing LoLo was saying. Her laughter softened her; she carries so much care and responsibility and yes, quiet grief with her all the time. I was genuinely happy to see her relaxed and smiling, gently stroking baby Poppy who was napping on the blanket next to her.

None of us had anywhere to be. As the night came on the children started to drop off, one by one; we lay them on blankets and covered them and just let them sleep there on the beach. Mako built another bonfire for us and eventually the older generation decided to relocate back to Izumi’s where they could sit in chairs and visit in relative comfort. Nuo had wheedled me into showing her the stars; I was laying next to her on a blanket, pointing out constellations, Huan on my other side, his head tucked into my shoulder. Meili and Rose, whom we'd lost quite early on, were dozing next to him. I had had an astronomy tutor as a boy, of course; however they apparently didn’t bother to teach the stars at the Black Jade Academy for Young Ladies. Just as I was showing her where the hump of the Great Turtlelion’s shell was, we were interrupted by Qi, who had a limp Zhi in Qi’s arms, sound asleep.

“He collapsed right in the middle of one of Huan’s palaces.” Qi nodded towards Huan.

“Ah,” Huan said. “I can take the sand off of him.” His fingers barely twitched and the sand filtered off of Zhi back to the beach where it belonged.

“May as well bring him here,” said Nuo, sitting up, clearing a space for him. Qi laid him down gently, covering him up with the bottom of the blanket.

“I swear his legs are almost as long as mine,” Qi said, fussing a bit. “Someday he’s going to grow into those and then we’ll be in for it.” Qi tenderly smoothed Zhi’s hair back and leaned down to kiss his cheek before turning back to the rest of us.

Nuo patted the blanket next to her. “So. Qi. Why don’t you take a seat right here next to me?”

Qi grinned at her. “Why, so you can grill me about kissing?”

“Qi!” I hissed, glancing around the beach, but Nuo only laughed. Qi folded up Qi’s legs and slid next to her, carefully avoiding Zhi.

“What, like I didn’t see you scuttling over to her as soon as you could?” Qi snorted. “Think I didn’t know you were going to blab all about it?”

“I beg your pardon! Princes do not _scuttle_!”

“They do blab, however,” Nuo said, her dimples in full force.

“Nuo!”

She giggled and tucked her arm in mine. “Oh hush before you wake up the children.” She tapped Qi on the knee with her fan. “So naughty! You know Wu is helpless when it comes to kissing.” Qi winked at her, not repentant in the very least!

“Wait, aren’t we talking about stars anymore?” Huan sat up and scowled at us, a rather fearsome look in which he channels his aunt in a most alarming way. “Are we going to be talking about people’s love lives? I don’t want to talk about that.”

“Well, no one wants to talk about your love life, dearest,” Nuo said, smiling at him.

“Everyone wants to talk about my love life,” he muttered, still scowling. “No matter how many times I tell them it’s off limits.”

“It’s only that people worry…” Nuo started, but she immediately shut her mouth when Huan turned that glare onto her.

“Don’t,” Huan said, his jaw tightening up, and Nuo very wisely let it be. He sighed and peered up at the sky again. “Well, if everyone wants to talk about love lives that do not involve either me or the Little Bird then go ahead, I guess.”

“I personally feel we could change the subject,” I said. Rather tartly, it must be confessed. “I’m sure no one is interested in frivolous discussions about anyone’s love life.”

Nuo merely laughed at this. “Oh please. Says the man who wrote a downright dirty chapter where a waterbender created a water bubble around his lover at the bottom of the lake.” She snapped open her fan and started to fan herself slowly. “My, my, my. Wing reaped the very generous benefits of my reading that particular scene, let me tell you.” Her smile was wicked as she shot a glance her barechested husband’s way, sitting on the beach with his twin, already two shades browner than when he arrived.

Qi’s grin only increased. “ _Of Kissing And Koi._ That was a good one.” Qi leaned over Nuo to come far too close to me.  “So tell me, was that one out of your imagination or did you and Mako have a little too much to drink and fall into the koi pond one night?”

“QI!” I gasped, scandalized beyond measure! My gracious, Progeny! What on earth had gotten into Qi! I would wonder if Qi had been drinking except I know Qi never does.

Qi snatched Nuo’s fan out of her hand and vigorously wafted cool air my way, that gap-toothed grin never ceasing. “You’re looking a little flushed. Maybe you should take that singlet off.”

Nuo had both hands pressed up to her mouth, her giggles bubbling out of her. “Oh, Qi! You’re terrible! Look at the poor man blush!” I was blushing, you may be sure, Progeny. I am quite certain I was scarlet from head to toe!

Huan glanced over at me. “You wouldn’t try that in the lake near the temple. It’s all snow melt. I’ve never been so cold in my life. There’s no way your parts would be working. Mine weren’t. Not even with airbending trying to warm them up.” Nuo nearly fell over at this point. “I don’t know, though. Maybe a waterbender could warm things up. I guess I could ask Mauja when we get home.” He raised his eyebrows at me. “Although you weren’t really worrying about that kind of thing when you wrote it, though, were you? The genre doesn’t really lend itself to authenticity.” Here he gave me a skeptical look. “I know you don’t have wide experience to draw on and neither do I, really, but Ikki assures me that most men aren’t able to spout poetry in the middle of sex. I bet Mako doesn’t either.”

Nuo had actual tears in her eyes by this time. “I think we can all rest assured that Mako, of all people, isn’t spouting off poetry at any given time, no less during sex.”

Qi closed the fan and tapped under my chin with it. “What about you? Spouting off any poetry?”

My mouth dropped open. I was quite unable to respond! This simply never happens to me! It was such shocking behavior from Qi! I didn’t know whether I was coming or going! 

“So long as he doesn’t sing. That would kill the mood for anybody.” Huan winced. “I love you, but I would never want to hear you sing during sex.”

“I...I do not sing while...engaged in...well, engaged in my matrimonial duties! Thank you very much!” The very idea!

“Oh, oh oh,” moaned Nuo, clutching at her stomach. “Stop before you kill me.”

“Matrimonial duties, is it?” Qi was practically laying in Nuo’s lap, Qi was leaning so close to me. “What if they aren’t so matrimonial? Maybe you should try it. A writer should do research, right?” I couldn’t take my eyes off of Qi’s smile and I sucked in a breath as the fan slowly trailed down my jaw. “You owe it to your readers.”

“Wait, is Qi flirting with Wu? Or is this just some new friendly thing that Qi does that I’m not aware of?” Huan looked over at Nuo. “I’d ask Nuo but she’s too busy laughing.”

“I’m trying. How do you think I’m doing?” Qi asked, the fan teasing at my ear.

Huan looked over. “Well, I’d say pretty well, based on what’s going on with Wu’s parts.”

“HUAN!” I screeched and then Rose sat up, whimpering, and Nuo managed to get herself together long enough to soothe her back down, murmuring and patting at her back. “What on earth has come over you,” I sputtered at Qi, who just leaned back, still grinning.

“I’m just enjoying an evening under the stars,” Qi said, and cracked open Nuo’s fan, fluttering Qi’s lashes at me over it.

“Qi’s pretty good at this,” Huan said. “You should write it in one of your books, Wu.” He thought for a moment, and then smiled. “We could help you come up with some titles.”

“I do not need help with any titles,” I snapped. I fished my own fan out of my little bag and put it to good use.

Huan ignored me. “Hmmm...oh! What about _Careening Towards Carnage_! If you wanted to write one about a battle or something. Oh! How about _Laid Up For Love_? It could feature a healer!”

Nuo had her hand over her mouth again. “Huan! I’m trying to settle Rose back down!” Suddenly her laughter got wilder. “ _Laid Up For Love_ , featuring Sitiak.”

“Wei would volunteer to do research for that one,” Huan said, and then even I had to laugh.

Nuo grabbed her fan back from Qi. “That giant, gorgeous morsel of a man is on my Exceptions List, I can tell you.” Her fan started waving back and forth. “I would climb him like a tree.”

“What’s an Exceptions List?” Huan asked. He drew the blanket up around Rose, whose eyes were slowly closing again, despite our foolish noise.

“Oh, you know, Wing and I have a list of people we’d grant each other a free pass to sleep with.” Nuo’s eyes sparkled. “He is on my list for sure.”

“Hmmm,” said Huan. “I don’t have one of those, there’s no one I want to have sex with but Ikki, not really.” He shrugged. “Ikki doesn’t need a list, she has a free pass all the time.” He turned to me. “So who’s on your list, Wu?”

“Yeah, who is on your list?” Qi raised up one eyebrow, and tilted Qi’s head to the side. “Cough it up.”

“For your information, I do not have a list!”

“Not buying it,” Qi said. “Everybody has a list.”

“I don’t have a list.”

“Everybody but Huan has a list.” Qi gave Huan a little nod. “So come on, who’s on yours?”

“Sitiak,” Nuo said, poking me in the side with her fan. Qi snorted.

“Sitiak’s on everyone’s list, even mine. Who else?”

I gaped at Qi, before remembering to close my mouth. I was feeling more than a little flabbergasted with the entire conversation. “I beg your pardon! What do you mean Sitiak is on your list?”

Qi leaned back on Qi’s elbows, crossing Qi’s legs. “I meant what I said. Sitiak is on my list.” Qi scoffed. “What, did you think I was like Huan? That I didn’t have a list?” Qi glanced over at Huan. “No offense.”

Huan waved a hand. “It was only the truth, that doesn’t offend me.”

I am extremely sorry to report that I sputtered again, in a most undignified and un-royal way. “Well! I never!”

“You never is right,” Qi said, and that set Nuo off again. “So who’s on your list?” Well, if there is one thing I can tell you, Progeny, it is that when Qi wants something Qi never does back down. Very stubborn, our Qi. I attempted my most quelling grimace, but as ever Qi simply ignored it. Qi never has been all that impressed with my slight vagaries of disposition, as it were.

“I know!” Nuo said. “We’ll all take a turn telling!”

“I can't really take a turn.”

“Yes, dearest, we know that you can’t. So. I’ll start.” She giggled. “Yumi.”

“Seen you giving her the up and down when you’ve had a few drinks,” Qi said, and nudged at her with Qi’s elbow. “I bet she’d do it, too.”

Nuo fanned herself harder. “Mmmmmmm,” she said, and wiggled her eyebrows up and down at Qi, who gave out one of Qi’s rusty little laughs. “Your turn.”

“Well, Huan’s on my list.”

Huan’s eyes opened wide and he gave one of his big smiles. “Am I! Really! You promise?”

“Always have thought you were damn good looking,” Qi said, and Huan threw his arms around Qi, which prompted a startled look between Nuo and myself. Huan is not one to hug people, and I don’t believe he’d ever hugged Qi before. Qi just laughed again, however, and hugged Huan back.

“Wait until I tell the Little Bird!” Huan said, pulling back. He was clearly very pleased. “I’m on an Exceptions List!” He thought for a moment. “If I ever change my mind and decide I want to have sex with someone else besides Ikki, I’ll let you know, okay, Qi?”

Qi winked. “Works for me.”

Huan lay back down on the blanket, smile still on his face. “I’m a on a list,” he murmured.

“Huan but not Wei?” Nuo asked, and Qi stole the fan out of her hand again.

“Wei is like a brother. The spark’s not there. Not that he isn’t good looking or anything, Beifongs being what they are. But the whole brother thing doesn’t appeal to me.” Nuo opened her mouth to speak and Qi fanned her. “And no, before you ask, not your husband either. Generally speaking, I don’t like them built like a rock the way you do.” Qi snorted. “Sitiak’s the exception. I can’t even explain it to myself.”

“Why explain when you can just imagine him with his shirt off?” Nuo asked, placing a coy finger to one of her dimples. She turned back to me. “Your turn, Wu.”

“I didn’t say I was going to play. You can’t make me.” I was feeling a trifle disgruntled at this point, Progeny. It is not that I don’t think that Huan is good looking; as Qi said, all of the Beifongs are. They are a handsome family, to be sure. However, I had no idea that Qi was so _particular_ about Huan. I can’t really explain why, but the very idea made me feel like I wanted to kick Huan in the shins. This was not a rational feeling! I love Huan! I do not normally ever wish to kick him anywhere! The whole thing was making me very uncomfortable and just the slightest bit sullen.

“Oh, stop being such a child,” Nuo said. “Come on, we’re all playing.”

“Huan’s not playing,” I pointed out, and crossed my arms over my chest.

“I’m playing, but I only have Ikki on my list. She’s not really an exception, but I can’t help that.” Huan turned his head to gaze up at me. “I want to know about your Exception List. Am I on it?” His tone was a little hopeful.

“You are not, for the same reason that Wei is not on Qi’s. I don’t see you that way.”

“Oh.” Huan looked slightly disappointed.

“But you are very nice looking,” I reassured him. “And I overheard one of the maids commenting on how dashing she found your eyebrow ring when they were preparing Naoki’s room for the two of you.”

Huan fingered the small gold hoop in his left eyebrow and smiled. “Yeah, okay.”

“What are we chit-chatting about that has Wu all red in the face?” Ikki asked, walking towards us, bending the water out of her hair. “Also, this blanket is full of sleeping children. No room for me!”

“You’re right on that one,” Nuo said. “We’ve already woken Rose up. Wing has the twins over there, we can move them here and then relocate. And then we’ll fill you in.” Qi hopped to Qi’s feet and considerately gave Nuo a hand up. We fetched the twins, both draped over Wing’s lap, and settled them down on the blanket next to the rest. Mako and Opal had Poppy and Pearl nestled into their arms and Bolin had Bu asleep on him, all of whom were transferred next to their cousins. After a short search we found San and Naoki, still heroically attempting to keep up with Rohan, who was working with Sozui on some sort of move which required a spinning kick into the air, something which I could not hope to accomplish in my wildest dreams. (Naoki has already accomplished it; Mako learned it as well. Alas! My waterbending forms do keep me supple but I fear high kicks into the air are quite beyond me.) San came along readily enough when his mother asked him if he wanted to lay down on the blanket next to Zhi; Naoki was quite another story, however. I feared that she was going to make quite a scene but Rohan cut that off quite neatly by saying that he was feeling a bit tired himself and that he thought he and Sozui could go back to Izumi’s and turn in. He really is growing into an excellent young man; he’s far more perceptive and mature than I was at fifteen, that is quite certain! Jinora and Kai left as well. Kai looked as if he might wish to stay; however, he followed along behind Jinora when she kissed her brother and sister goodnight and started to walk away with Rohan and Sozui.

There they lay on blankets we’d spread out for them on the beach; all of the Beifong and Hou-Ting progeny, from little Poppy with her thumb firmly planted into her sleeping mouth all the way up to Naoki, arms crossed, glaring up at the stars despite the fact that she was yawning and sluggish with encroaching sleep. None of us said anything, but I think we were all reluctant to let them out of our sight after the events of the night prior.

Mako, Meelo and Bolin went to go and forage for some driftwood for the fire; the rest of us settled down on the blankets that were left at a little distance from the children. As before Huan was to one side of me and Nuo to the other; I do not get to see them nearly as often as I wish to, and so when I do have them I tend to keep them close.

“So,” Nuo said, her fan out in force, “Wu was mortified that we were discussing our Exception Lists.” Wing laughed from his spot around the fire next to Wei.

“Did you tell them Sitiak, honey?” he asked, blowing his wife a kiss. She fluttered her fan in his direction, blowing a kiss in return.

“That is one damn good looking man,” Wei said. He made a face. “I can’t get him to give me the time of day, though.”

“Listen, I still haven’t forgiven Republic City for poaching him,” Nuo said. “He was supposed to be ours!”

Opal snorted. “It’s not like we have him or anything, he’s too busy training with Kya. I think Meili sees him more than any of the rest of us.” She tucked her arm into Wei’s. “He’s on my Exception List, for sure.”

“Who’s Sitiak?” Juziya asked. She was sitting on a blanket with Qi, arms around her knees.

“Northern Water Tribe healer, works as a masseuse,” Qi answered. “Very attractive man.” Qi grinned suddenly and put one finger into the air. “Speaking of the Northern Water Tribe, that Desna isn’t half bad. He’s on my Exception List, too.”

Opal put up a hand. “Do not get me started on Eska.” Wei kicked her ankle.

“Nobody’s talking about Eska, we all want to live to see the morning.”

“Oh, you’re a riot.”

Juziya smiled at Qi. “Desna kept asking you to dance at my investiture, I remember. Even my uncle said something about it.” She shrugged a little. “He’s always been friendly enough to me. Eska hasn’t had much to say to me, but I don’t think she has much to say to most people.”

“Except Bolin.” Opal’s mouth thinned. “I really hate that woman.”

“It’s not like you to be jealous,” Wing said, peering around his twin at her. Opal slashed her hand through the air.

“It’s not about jealousy. What, don’t you think half the people who see Bolin’s movers are convinced they are in love with him?” Opal rolled her eyes. “I can’t tell you how many times these people will come up to us in public, throwing themselves at him. Never mind that he might be out with his wife and children! They don’t know him at all, they’ve created some idea of him in their heads and just expect him to somehow be a part of that despite the fact that he doesn’t even know them. He’s a fantasy for them, I know better than to be jealous about that.” She shook her head, her eyes furious. “It’s not about that. I hate that Eska because she hurt him. She took advantage of him. She knew damn well what she was doing.”

Wei slid his arm around her. “Well, it was before you knew him. There’s no way any of us would let it happen to him now, you know that.”

Opal sighed; a sharp, angry sound. “It just gets to me, that’s all.”

“What gets to you?” Bolin came up behind her, his arms full of bits of wood, which he dumped next to the fire, followed by Mako and Meelo. Mako started to feed the fire.

“Just ranting about Eska. Never you mind me,” she said, and put out her arm for him. Bolin dropped down next to her and nuzzled his nose into her hair.

“Oh, let’s not talk about her, okay, Easy-Breezy? It just gets you all worked up.”

“No, you’re right. Let’s talk about something else. Let’s talk about going up to visit the Northern Air Temple this summer.” She kissed Bolin’s cheek and then smiled at Huan and Ikki.

Ikki grinned back at her. “Come up for the midsummer festival. It’s pretty exciting.” She laughed. “Well, exciting for Baidi Village, anyhow. Everyone comes from all over the area to trade, there’s a big dance, an entire day full of strength competitions, that kind of thing. I know it sounds pretty rustic, and it is, but I loved it last year.” She smiled over at Huan. “We even got a new airbender out of it.”

Huan nodded. “Goba.”

“Speaking of airbenders, how’s Yung’s training coming?” Meelo asked.

“Pretty well. He’s modest about it, but he’s been working really hard.” She cocked her head at Meelo. “If you come up you can work with him on breath control. He’s not doing as well with it as he should be and you were always better at it than I was anyhow.”

“You’ve got me beat at gliding, though,” he replied and she winked.

“That’s me, always on the run!”

Huan stretched out his fingers and wiggled them. “It’s been really good to have Kwan there. He’s far better than me when it comes to taking what Baatar puts on paper and making it real.” Mako scowled as he continued to build the bonfire up, directing the flames away as he layered the driftwood until he had it to his satisfaction. Ikki’s eyes followed him; her mouth pulled tight. I don’t know her all that well but even I could see she was not best pleased with Mako’s reaction every time Baatar Jr was mentioned.

Ikki drew her eyes away from Mako to smile at Huan. "You're not as bad as you seem to think you are."

Huan wrinkled up his nose. “I’m not really all that suited to building things. It’s better to leave me to my art.”

Meelo shot Huan a glance as he gnawed a little at his thumbnail. “You hated my art, I remember.” His mouth twisted up a bit.

Huan returned his glance and shook his head, the crease between his eyebrows that he gets when he is being serious making an appearance. “No. I didn’t hate it. You were a very gifted painter, especially for someone so young with no training. What I said was that it was _pedestrian_. It was. I was trying to get you and Ikki to get to the inner core of who you were.” Huan cocked his head. “Your painting was very mature, very sophisticated in its use of rich yet subtle color and your brushwork especially stood out to me. But it had nothing of you in it. You were scared that night, and I wanted you to reflect some of that into your painting. But you didn’t. That’s why I called it pedestrian.” He frowned and stretched out his hands. “People should feel something when they see art.” He patted over his heart. “They should experience it. Seeing it is just one sense. What does it make you feel, though? Does it change how you think, how you see the world? What does it tell you about the artist? What does it tell you about yourself?” His look towards Meelo was intense. “Your painting was all dark colors, you looking so grim, dressed as a king. It showed me how you wanted the world to see you. But what it didn’t tell me was who you actually were. Because that night, you were not that painting. Or that painting wasn’t you.” He struggled with the words for a moment. “If...if you were able to take your gift and create something that tapped into that Meelo that runs under the surface, the Meelo that you carry inside of you, then you’d be more than just a competent and talented realistic painter. You’d be an actual artist.”

We all stared at him, Progeny. It’s easy to forget sometimes that Huan also studied with his other grandmother; Bhuti, a renowned artist. He knows a tremendous amount about art. Huan can, when he chooses, paint portraits and the like. He knows how to render a pretty landscape. He elects to express himself in different ways, however. I may not always understand his art, but I do know that it always makes me feel something.

“I’d like to learn,” Meelo said, and the longing in his voice caused his sister to reach forward and take his hand in hers. “If you’re willing to teach me, that is.”

Huan smiled. “I don’t know if I’m a good teacher. But we can try.”

“You managed to teach Tu how to metalbend,” I reminded him. “If you can teach Tu, I’m certain you could teach anyone.”

“Tu was not the quickest learner,” Huan replied with the barest wisp of a laugh. “That’s true.”

“That fucking Tu,” Mako muttered as he finished his busy work with the bonfire and sat down on the other side of Qi.

“Does this mean you’ll come and stay for awhile?” Ikki squeezed Meelo’s hand.

“We’re very friendly,” Huan said. “Including the goat dog.”

“Oh, I already have to hear about how their cousins have an air bison and a fire ferret and a poodle monkey. They’ll be after me for sure for a pet if they see a goat dog.” I rolled my eyes at Huan.

“You’re more than welcome to the poodle monkey,” said Nuo, and Wing made a noise of protest.

“Where is Bubbles, anyhow?” Bolin asked. “I kept meaning to ask but I kept forgetting, too.”

“We left him with the housekeeper,” Wing said. “Poor little guy. I know he’s missing us. I wanted to bring him but I got overruled.”

“It’s one thing to let him loose in Wu’s house; it’s quite another to let him wreak havoc on the Firelord,” Nuo sniffed. “He’ll piddle everywhere if you don’t keep a close eye on him. And I don’t want to discuss what happens when he gets wind of any mangos.”

“Can you blame him?” Wing asked.

“Yes!”

“Well, Junior only piddles where she is supposed to. She doesn’t eat mangos, either. Sometimes if she gets a little excited she headbutts people, though.” Huan shrugged. “I headbutt people too, so what can you do?” Ikki laughed at this and he shoved at her shoulder with his head, smiling at her.

“I wonder if I should take Juicy?” Opal mused. “He doesn’t get nearly as much exercise as he should.”

“You know we’ve room for him if you do,” Ikki said. “The air bison stable is still low on the priority list at the moment but he can find a ledge or a cave to sleep in. Plenty for him to eat in the summer, as well.”

“We’ve room for him on the deck of the airship as well if you don’t want to fly the entire way up,” I said, thinking for a moment. “Or at least I think we do. Do we?” This last was asked of Mako, across the bonfire.

Mako cleared his throat. “Well, we haven’t decided on anything yet. We don’t even know if you are going.” I pulled back and raised a reproving eyebrow at him. “We can talk about it later,” he said, refusing to meet my eyes.

“Oh? And why is that?” Ikki asked. Her eyes narrowed. Mako just compressed his lips and refused to answer, which only served to ruffle her feathers even more. “Wait, I’m going to just throw out a theory here, you know, make a wild guess. Don’t want your kids anywhere near the world’s biggest bad boy, do you?” A wind was starting to rise from Ikki.

“It’s more complicated than-” Mako started, but Ikki leapt up.

“Hey, you know what? Fuck you, Mako! You think I haven’t noticed how you look every single time he’s brought up?” Ikki’s fists were on her waist, her short hair dancing around her head. “Don’t try to make it about anything more than that, don’t even pretend this is about anything but Baatar. Oh, I hate it when you do this!” She struggled for a moment before taking a deep breath and walking off a few steps, clearly trying to get her temper back into check. I shot Mako the most quelling look I possibly could, but he refused to acknowledge it.

“I know he’s your brother,” he said, very stiffly, including the Beifongs present in his glance around the fire, “But I need to do what’s best for my kids.”

“Oh, and my brother’s the worst, hmm?” Now Opal’s eyes were snapping. Wing and Wei were shooting identical glares at him, shoulder to shoulder on their shared blanket. “That’s great, Mako. That’s really great.” Bolin put his hand on her arm but she shook him off.

“I’m not saying he’s the worst! I’m just saying that I can’t just forget what he did the way the rest of you all seem to be able to.”

“Fuck you,” ground out Wei, and Wing nodded.

“But we’re supposed to forget about you?” Huan was staring down at the sand, face a blank.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mako was in rare, fine form tonight, Progeny. I know how he gets when he’s challenged on something he’s made his mind up over and believe me, at that moment in time I was desperately racking my brains for some sort of distraction. It’s the only way to handle him when he’s simultaneously stubborn and up on his high ostrich horse, a combination no one has ever appreciated in the slightest. Alas! I was coming up quite short.

“Mako,” Qi warned, but Mako ignored Qi. Mako rarely ignores Qi. It was worse than I had thought. I was just about to do something completely ridiculous like cast myself into the sea and pretend to drown (this has actually worked for me before) when Huan spoke up.

“What about all of your crimes? Weren’t you part of a Triad for a few years?” He looked up at Mako and Nuo let out a tiny gasp. Huan was angry; truly angry. I could see it in the way he held his body so carefully still, the sneer on his face. My gracious but he looked every inch the Beifong at that moment, the fine bones of his face sharply defined in the flickering light of the fire.

“That’s different,” Mako said, his nostrils going white the way they do when he’s trying to walk himself back from that ledge of rage.

“Different why? Because you were only a boy at the time? Was it different for the people you stole from?” Huan’s fingers were starting to flutter. “How many people did you burn? How many buildings did you set on fire when their owners didn’t pay enough money to the Triad?”

“I...I didn’t…” Mako had gone pale. His eyes darted very quickly over to Bolin.

“You think because I didn’t grow up there I didn’t know? My grandmother used to tell me all kinds of things about her time as police chief when she was trying to teach me to bend. Probably because she thought I didn’t understand her. You know, good old stupid Huan.”

“Hey, don’t say that...” Wing started, but Huan wasn’t listening.

“But it’s okay for you though, right?” Huan’s chest was heaving and he started to shake his head back and forth, the way he does when he is very upset. “Just...it’s not...you are not the good one...no! Not the bird or the or the...No!” He smashed the heel of his hand into his forehead. Nuo leaned across me, reaching out her hand.

“Huan! Please, it’s alright, you don’t-”

“Stop! Let me! Just...let me say! Just shut up! I say...I can! Just…” He took in several shuddering breaths, hands clenched together. “Everyone makes me shut up. I’m not stupid!”

“Oh, Huan,” Nuo said, tears in her eyes. “We know you aren’t stupid.”

Opal got up and came to him, dropping on her knees next to him. “Huan, no one thinks that.”

“You do!” He gasped out a sob; more of anger than sorrow, I believe. “Think I am a child. I am slow and the words run away like fish but I know what I know!” He slammed his fists to the beach and we all felt the deep reverberation of it. He glared back at Mako. “Where was your jail? Did you pay? You think that no, now you make it right, policeman. Why is it different for my brother? You don’t know him. You don’t. You don’t. You say but you can’t...” he grunted in frustration and bashed at his head again. Ikki walked back at this point and sat cross-legged in front of him, careful not to touch him.

“Take your time,” she said. “I’m listening.” She sat there, silent, as he tried to get his breathing under control. Mako started to say something, but without even looking she shot a blast of air that hit him straight in the mouth. We were all a little shocked, I think. All of us but Meelo, that is. Meelo just grinned to himself, his eyes never leaving his older sister.

Huan flicked a glance her way. “He did wrong. He knows. You know. We know. He’s trying now. He never said no. He never tried to say it wasn’t…” he looked at Ikki, mute appeal.

“He pled guilty,” Ikki said. “He never tried to get out of his prison sentence.”

Huan nodded and closed his eyes. “He does things now. Now. He tries.” He opened his eyes and looked at Meelo before glancing away. “Little Bird. Her family says, no, Little Bird goes here, goes there,” he fluttered his fingers to show us how she flew. “Little Bird thinks she can fly only. But he says no, Little Bird can do all.” Back to Ikki, who smiled at him.

“He does. He’s the first person who has ever believed in my ability to be anything but flighty little irresponsible Ikki. He believes in me. He believes that I can lead that temple.” She shook her head. “I still think he’s full of it.”

“No.” Huan reached out and put his hand to her cheek. “No. He knows. He sees.”

“He has never once put me down,” Ikki said, leaning into Huan’s hand. “He believes in me when I don’t even believe in myself.”

“Our Little Bird,” Huan said, and took his hand back. He looked at Mako. “You never paid. Bolin never paid and he was with Kuvira too.”

“That was completely different,” Mako said, a vein throbbing in his forehead. Oh, he was angry. “Bolin didn’t know any better!”

“You know, I’m not a child either,” Bolin said. Said quietly, might I add, which is very unlike him. “Opal tried to tell me over and over again that things were wrong. So did Su and Kai and even the twins tried as well. Even you did. I wouldn’t listen. It’s not because I didn’t know any better. It’s because I didn’t want to know any better.” He looked at Mako and there were tears in his eyes. “I’ve tried to tell you this again and again, but you won’t let me. I was wrong, Mako. Kuvira used me, yeah. But she used Baatar, too. You don’t know. You weren’t there.” He wiped his tears away on his forearms. “And okay, maybe he did some things that were way worse than me. But I’ll tell you what he didn’t do. He didn’t go into towns and smile at everybody and tell them how great things were going to be with Kuvira, how she was going to make everything better. That was my job. I was really good at it, and people believed me because I was this mover star and then she went through and things got worse for a lot of people.” His face was miserable. “I even walked into Zaofu and told them all of Kuvira’s lies. Sometimes I still can’t believe that any of them still talk to me.” His voice wobbled a little. “People like me now because Varrick made what I did into a story, he made people believe something different than what really happened. But I was there and I know the truth. And someday I’m going to have to look my kids in the eyes and tell them the truth about what I did and I’m real scared to do it. But I have to.”

Wei grabbed him into an affectionate headlock; Wing tousled his hair and kissed the top of his head. Opal stood up and walked back to him, taking him into her arms. She whispered something into his ear and he nodded before resting his head into the crook of her neck. Huan stared down at his hands, rocking slowly back and forth.

Ikki turned to face Mako. “I love you and Bolin like the older brothers I never had. But I will tell you that I am damn tired of all the judgment of Baatar. Why should he bother trying to make amends for what he did? Why should he try to rebuild his life if he isn’t given the chance to do it?” She tilted her chin up. “You might be a policeman, but you aren’t his judge, Mako. He’s doing the best he can. If you want to spend the rest of your life blaming him for his mistakes then I can’t stop you. But Huan’s right. You are being a hypocrite. Your past isn’t exactly squeaky clean either.” And here her eyes narrowed again. “And just so we’re clear, I don’t need you or anyone else using me as an excuse to judge him, either. I’m an adult and I know what I’m about. I know what’s best for me, and if I take him to my bed that’s my business and not yours.” Here she tossed her hair back, her bangs parting to show a glimpse of vivid blue across her forehead. “At least I’m upfront about who I want and what I do. I’m not playing around with my husband’s driver behind closed doors.”

Mako surged up at that point and walked off down the beach without saying a word. He didn’t look back, either. We were all rendered temporarily speechless, looking around the fire at each other. I’m certain poor Juziya was wishing she’d gone back to her grandmother’s house, my goodness! I know I would have been in her shoes.

“You mind your business and let me mind mine, eh girlie?” That was Qi, who had not taken Qi’s eyes off of Ikki. Ikki had the grace to look away and flush a little. “I’ve never said word one to you about anything. You want to take a cheap shot at someone, you damn well leave me out of it.” Ikki gave Qi a sharp nod in return before standing up and jogging off in Mako’s direction.

There was a very awkward silence, finally broken by Nuo, fanning herself. “Well.” She caught Wing’s eye and he grimaced at her. “Well. Goodness.”

“Someone make a joke or something,” Wei said, glancing around the fire. “Damn.”

“Sorry,” Huan mumbled, drawing his finger down the blanket next to me. “Sorry, Wu.”

“No, don’t be sorry,” I replied, and sighed. “You have a right to your feelings. Mako is…” I sighed again. “Mako is Mako. But he’s also a grown man and he can handle himself. Believe me, we would have had it out about visiting the Temple one way or the other.” I glanced over at Juziya. “This was more than you bargained for when you decided to stay, I’m afraid.”

“We’re kind of a dramatic bunch,” Wing said, shrugging a little in her direction. “Although to be fair, Beifongs pretty much invented the word.”

Juziya gave an unexpected smile. “If you don’t think there’s a lot of drama going on in the family of the Firelord then I don’t know what to tell you. You haven’t seen drama until you’ve seen my grandmother go at it with Auntie Azula.” She actually laughed. “Auntie Kiyi was being diplomatic when she said that Auntie Azula didn’t want to come to this gathering. The truth of it was that she was invited and she showed up a few days before you all got here and started in on her opinion of the Hou-Ting family-” here she glanced at me -”which wasn’t a polite opinion, either, and Grandmama told her that if she wanted to stay she needed to keep it to herself and Auntie Azula told Grandmama that she was a boot-licking half-breed little toadie-” here a look at Nuo -”which is her opinion of non-benders like my great-grandmother and Grandmama got so angry that she kicked her out and Auntie Azula threw a fireball as she was leaving and we had to scramble to find a new sofa before you all showed up.”

“Gracious,” I said, rather faintly, you may believe! Mako has had his moments, to be sure, but my furniture usually remains intact!

“That was way better than a joke,” said Wei, grinning with with great relish. “That’s some Beifong level family drama right there. When Aunt Lin came to Zaofu for the first time she and Mom had a big old fight, tore up half the place before Opal stepped in. That was a good fight, too, so thanks for nothing, Opie.”

“Hey, I was trying to embrace the whole airbender thing!” Opal was grinning. “Peaceful conflict resolution.”

“Asskisser,” Wei replied, and Opal reached around Bolin to thwack him on his head.

“She threw my sculpture into a wall,” murmured Huan. “What did it ever do to her?”

“Was that the banana one?” Bolin whispered loudly to Opal. Huan shot him a dirty look across the fire.

“Uh, airbenders can go at it as well. You’re going to want to take my word on that one.” Meelo cocked an eyebrow and shook his head. “My father isn’t exactly the calm type. And neither am I. Or Ikki, obviously.”

“Ikki and I almost never fight but she and Baatar get in big fights all the time,” Huan threw out.

“Oh, well, Baatar,” said Wei. “He’s the worst of all of us.”

“He is like Mom-level bad tempered,” agreed Wing. “Possibly even Aunt Lin-level.”

“Tell me about it,” I said. “Your aunt can really let it fly, believe you me.”

Wei started snickering. “Worse, he’s smart about it, too. Remember the time he had us bend that kid into the tree?”

Wing started to laugh as well. “Oh, that one was the best!”

“Wait, when was this?” Opal asked, and then gasped, eyes wide. “Oh! Was that during our one scouting overnight trip?”

Wei and Wing grinned at each other. “Yeah,” Wing said. “That kid put out the fire you’d worked so hard to build, trying to get your fire building badge, made you cry. Junior- uh, sorry, I mean Baatar- was so pissed off about it that he stole one of the jeeps and drove back home in the middle of the night in his pajamas to get us, drove us all the way back where you guys were camping, had us bend the kid still in his sleeping bag up into a tree and then drove us back home.”

Wei was laughing. “He woke us up by crawling into our room through the window and saying-” here he deepened his voice a little -”’You infants want to fuck some shit up?’”

“We were always up for that,” Wing chortled, throwing his head back. “Aw, we were lucky he didn’t crash the jeep, he was what, thirteen or fourteen at the time?”

“Hey, thirteen year olds can drive.” That was Qi, grinning as well.

“At least you were doing it on paved roads with streetlamps,” Wei said. “We were bouncing all over dirt tracks in the pitch black.”

“I had totally forgotten about that!” Opal exclaimed. “No one could figure out who did it, there were no benders along on the trip.” She started to laugh as well. “Mom must have known though, right? I mean she must have.”

“Oh, she had to have known. But you know Mom, she probably thought it was great. There would be no way she would rat us out, not for that one.” Wing was shaking his head, still grinning. “Oh, and what about the time that Huan moved all of the flowerbeds in front of the tram stop into one big dick, right before the King of Omashu came to visit?”

Opal burst out into peals of laughter, shaping it with her hands. “It was this huge dick with balls, he bent every single plant in that entire big flowerbed to make it. I thought Mom was going to explode, she was so pissed off about that one!”

Huan was grinning with the memory, meeting Opal’s eyes. “Yeah, that was a good one.”

“Huan!” I said, rather shocked. Shocked and amused, if I am being honest, Progeny. “I never liked the man, he once mocked my ears.” I put my hands up to them rather defensively.

“He told Dad that they should put me away instead of leaving me where anyone could see me,” Huan said. “Right in front of me, too. Like I couldn’t hear him or something.” He rolled his eyes.

“Nasty old fucker,” tsked Opal. “Dad hardly ever gets mad but he was mad on that day, I remember.”

“So the next time he came to visit Huan showed him what he thought about him,” Wei said. He and Wing exchanged identical smirks. “Classic. So classic.”

“Mom totally knew who had done it, too. It’s not like Wei and I could have managed it, we were too little for that kind of precise work and would have never had the patience to move the entire flower bed anyhow. She wasn’t going to admit it, though, at least not in front of the king.” Wing looked at his brother. “Did you ever get into trouble over that one, Huan?”

He shook his head. “Mom never said a word to me. Dad just patted me on the shoulder and said, ‘I enjoyed the botanical exhibition today, son.’” That set the Beifongs off and even the rest of us started laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Zhi asked, stumbling towards the fire, eyes barely open. “How come everyone is noisy laughing?”

“We’re just making silly grown up jokes,” said Qi, holding out Qi’s arms for him. Zhi yawned and drooped against Qi. “Sorry we woke you up, buddy.” Qi kissed the top of his head.

Nuo stretched a little. “We should probably break it up anyhow, get these children to bed.” She made as if to stand up, but Wing beat her to it, springing up from his blanket and coming across the sand to give her his hands. He got a little kiss as reward. “Juziya, could I prevail upon you to carry the baby?”

Juziya’s smile was bright. “Of course!”

“I can take a twin,” Meelo said, standing up and walking over. Wing clapped him on the back in thanks.

Wei looked towards the direction Mako and Ikki had taken. “Let me take Naoki, she’s dead weight. Unless you think we can wake her up to walk herself back.”

“Fat chance,” snorted Qi. “The entire parade could go by at this point and she’d sleep through it. If you take her I’ll grab Meili.”

We all managed to juggle the children between us. I walked a mostly asleep Zhi along and even Huan stepped in, carrying a snoring Bu. He also bent the sand off of everyone before we walked in the front door, which was a perk I had never really thought about before this evening. Very useful to have a sandbender when your cottage is on the beach! We poured the children into their beds - putting Naoki in with Meili - and got snarled at by Lin when we made too much noise and woke her up. I had not realized she was already home or else we would have made a greater effort to be silent, I can assure you!

By the time we’d put all the children down Mako and Ikki still had not returned. Huan seemed wholly unconcerned; when I asked him where he thought she might be he merely shrugged his shoulders, told me that Ikki would be along when she was along and promptly went into Naoki’s room to sleep. Alas! I am not Huan; thus I was wide awake and fretting that Mako was not home yet. Everyone else turned in as well and I went to our room, changing into my pajamas and brushing my teeth before settling into bed with a book that I tried (and failed) to read. Still no Mako. Belting on my dressing gown, I crept out. Ikki was back, at least; I could hear her snores through the closed door. I wandered the cottage; no Mako. I walked out to the veranda facing the back garden and in the inky dark of the new moon night saw the red glow of a lit cigarette. I made my careful way down the steps, expecting it to be Mako.

It was Qi.

“Why aren’t you in bed?” I asked, and Qi blew out one last jet of smoke before bending down to crush out the butt, tucking it back into Qi’s silver cigarette case rather than dropping it on the ground. Which I did appreciate, I must say. I do not at all like smoking; however, I do respect that Mako and Qi are considerate about it, at least.

“Why aren’t you?” Unlike me, Qi was still dressed.

“Qi…”

Qi sighed in the darkness. “Figured I’d give him a smoke or two and then go and see if I could track him down. If he’s still out there then he’s going to be in a mood.”

“To say the very least.”

Qi grunted in response. We stood there in silence for a few moments; it was not precisely a comfortable silence, not like it usually is between the two of us.

“Qi,” I ventured, more than a little hesitant.

“Yeah?”

“You...well. You were flirting with me tonight. Quite a great deal, actually.”

“Yeah.”

“Why? I...it’s not that I minded. Or, well, I supposed I minded, but...well.” I was feeling flustered. I do not at all like feeling that way, I can assure you, Progeny.

I heard rather than saw Qi move closer to me. “I want to tell you something. Something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time.”

“Yes?”

There was a long silence; then: “That’s not the first man I’ve ever killed.” A noise that I could hardly believe I was making burst out of me and Qi put a hand on my arm. “I want to tell you about it. Can I tell you about it?” I groped for Qi’s hand in the darkness, and Qi took that as an assent. “When I was nine I was sold to a pimp. He specialized in kids.”

My free hand flew up to my mouth. “Qi!”

“Yeah. It was bad. Real bad. There’s a lot you don’t know about when I was a little kid. I’ve never told you because I was afraid of what you’d think of me.” Qi took a deep breath. “I won’t get into it all tonight, but the day after he bought me he locked me into a room with a man who’d paid for my first time and I was so scared that as he came towards me I managed to stick him the eye with my embroidery needle. It was the only thing I’d been allowed to take with me from the whorehouse where I grew up. He drew a knife on me and I got it away from him and stuck him in the neck.” Qi was silent for a moment. I was trying to breathe; I am not sure how successful I was. “I still don’t remember everything that happened. I was scared, so scared I pissed myself. Never been so scared in my whole life.”

“You were nine,” I whispered. I felt sick, utterly sick.

“The pimp must have heard the noise I guess, because he came in and saw the man on the floor and started to choke me, screaming at me. I passed out, I guess. He’s the one that did the damage to my voice, you follow? Next thing I knew I was on the floor too and Drunk Lu was there, a broken chair in her hand. She was one of the whores that had looked after me after my Ma died. She’d found out I’d been sold and had come looking for me. If she hadn’t, I’d be dead now.” The matter of fact way that Qi told the story made me shiver. “She gave me a little money, told me that I needed to run out of there and just keep running, to go to another part of the city, to stay away, never come back to see her no more. Become someone else, someone new, someone they couldn’t find. So I started runnin’. Kept on goin’. Didn’t know she’d killed the pimp ‘til later. Dunno if he died then or she did for him after I left. Knowin’ Lu, coulda gone either way.”

“Oh, Qi,” I said, and tears were sliding down my cheeks. I couldn’t help myself. Only nine years old, younger than the Butterfly. San’s age.

“I’d kill for you,” Qi said, in the most pragmatic tone possible. “Without a second thought. And that goes for the kids as well. I don’t do it casually. But I been trained to do it, and that’s what I’ll do. Driving you was always secondary to that.” Qi scoffed. “Course, I’ve seen you try to drive, so I reckon I was saving your life doin’ that as well.”

“Hmph,” I said, giving it up to wipe my eyes on my sleeve and Qi squeezed my hand before continuing.

“I couldn’t sleep hardly at all last night. I didn’t set out to kill that man but I’m not sorry I did. I know Naoki could have held her own against trash like that but she don’t need to have that on her shoulders, not when she’s still just a kid. Better me than her, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. He had a knife in his hand, you know. Don’t know if he meant to kill her or just scare her, but I wasn’t about to wait and see.” Qi shoved out an explosive breath of air. “It’s just...fuck. What more do I have to do to prove to you or Mako that I’m her parent as much as you are? What more do I have to do?” Qi dropped my hand to raise both hands to Qi’s temples. “I been bidin’ my time, trying to let things go where they would in a natural way. What has it gotten me? A fancy room inside the house and a hunting lodge in the middle of nowhere? It’s not that I don’t like those things, but it’s not what I ever wanted.” Qi rasped out a quiet, bitter little laugh, the slurry consonants of Qi’s old accent breaking through. “You proposed to me and told me that I could go to Mako for my first time and it took everythin’ in me not to slap you.”

“Qi!” I came closer and reached out to try and put my hands on Qi’s shoulders. “I wasn’t trying to be offensive!”

“It would have better if you had been! I knew you were trying to be kind. You think I want that kindness? Feels like pity to me and I can tell you one thing, I don’t need your pity. You think I haven’t had offers? I ain’t to everyone’s taste but believe me, I am to some.” The bitter laugh again. “That Desna for one. Been fightin’ off Setsu for years. Others, too. I turned ‘em down every time. Didn’t want nobody but you. And then you tell me to go to Mako! And it ain’t that I don’t want him, you know I do. I know you know.” Qi’s hand slid around my waist and pulled me in close, my chest flush with Qi’s chest. “I’m tired of waitin’ for you to figure it all out,” Qi leaned close, speaking softly into my ear. “I want you so bad. I ain’t a kid anymore but you still think of me that way.”

“I don’t-” I started to say but Qi cut me off.

“Sure you do,” Qi said, and my breathing quickened as Qi’s long fingers curled around the back of my skull. “I want you to want me,” Qi said, mouth hovering close to mine. “I want you to burn for me the way I been burnin’ for you. I’m tired of waitin’ and I’m tired of provin’ myself and I am damn well tired of bein’ invisible to you. Don’t matter what I wear or what I do. You don’t see me as nothin’ more than that street kid you gave your lunch to all them years ago.”

“No. You are wrong about that. If you really think that, then you’re wrong. It’s not how I see you.” I pulled back a little, trying to meet Qi’s eyes, but it was too dark. “I’m sorry if I haven’t been clear enough-”

Qi’s laugh was real this time, that gritty little chuckle that is so dear to me. “Wu honey, if you think you are bein’ clear then you’re even more blind than I thought you were. Because you are many things, but clear ain’t one of ‘em.”

“Well, I...it’s not that easy, Qi. I don’t think I’m sure what I want.” This was not precisely true, Progeny. I can tell you one thing I wanted at that moment, and it was for Qi to keep Qi’s hand around my waist.

“Well then. How ‘bout I tell you what I want then, how’s ‘bout that? Because I fuckin’ well know what I want.”

“I…” I was having a bit of a difficult time trying to think straight at that point, I must confess. Qi was very warm and very close and I somehow had forgotten how to breathe. “I suppose…yes...”

Qi pulled me flush against Qi again, and I dug my own fingers into Qi’s hips in surprise. “I want you inside of me,” Qi breathed into my ear before biting down on my earlobe. I cried out before losing my knees and starting to fall to the ground, but as ever, Qi held on to me. “Do you get it now? Am I bein’ clear enough for you?” I did try to say something, I truly did, but all I could do was hang on to Qi for dear life. “You want me to stop, you tell me, I’ll stop. I won’t never touch you again, I’ll keep my distance same as before. But for fuck’s sake I don’t want to do all those pretty things I see all them rich people doin’ when it comes to you. Don’t want to court you like them aristocrats do, all nice and polite. Don’t want to seduce you with fancy words and gifts. Those things ain’t me.” Qi suckled on my ear and I couldn’t keep myself from moaning. “You hearin’ me? I want you to want me so bad you ache with it but if you don’t then I will put myself back on my shelf, give it up. But I killed a man last night, Wu, and I don’t want to play no more games.”

I pride myself on always knowing the right thing to say to anyone on any occasion, Progeny. It is a gift I have, when I chose to use it. But I had no words at that moment in time; no little quips, no flowery speeches, no imperious orders. I just had Qi in my arms and so I did the only thing I really wanted to do in that moment; I entwined my fingers into Qi’s thick hair and pulled, hard enough to get a little hiss of surprise out of Qi, hard enough to bring Qi’s mouth to mine, and I kissed Qi with all of the love I have ever felt for my own beloved, my own darling darling Qi.

It was Qi’s turn to sag a little in surprise; mouths still together and our fingers entangled in each other’s hair, we stumbled until the back of Qi’s knee slammed into a bench there, Qi falling swiftly backwards to land with a bone-jarring thump, taking me along for the ride. Qi, with Qi’s usual single-mindedness, continued to kiss me; I forwent checking to see if my nightclothes were in a state of disarray to kiss Qi in return.

I shifted myself; a certain part of my anatomy was pressed against Qi’s hip in a way that was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. I straddled Qi’s lap and Qi wrapped one hand around the small of my back. Oh, I don’t know what had come over me, I truly don’t. I have never been one to do this, not in public! I am not, when it comes down to it, very daring. I usually leave the more audacious exploits to my novels. I couldn’t help myself, however. I didn’t want to stop; that was the simple truth of it. I wanted to kiss Qi until the sun came up. It was becoming apparent, even to me, that my body wanted more than just kissing as well. Qi tugged me even closer and I gasped into Qi’s mouth as Qi’s hand crept lower down my backside. Truly, I think we would have gotten up to something that might have even made some of my more faithful readers blush if not for the voice that spoke up, just a few steps away.

“What the fuck is going on here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thanks to Tumblr user ceruliem for the book titles for this chapter!!


	9. In Which Things Are Resolved, One Way Or The Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings are expressed in more ways than one; our story ends here.

Ember Island  
Midwinter, Tigerdillo Month, 6th Day, 186 AG  
Midnight Into Early Morning

 

Qi pulled Qi’s mouth slowly away from mine to look over my shoulder, hands tightening on me before I could even think to move away. “We’re negotiating.”

“That’s not what it looks like from up here.”

Qi shrugged, a gesture that used one shoulder. “You negotiate your way and let me negotiate mine.”

“Is this really the right night for this? Tonight?”

Qi scoffed before raising an eyebrow up at Mako. “Seemed like the right night for me. Can’t speak for you. On the other hand, I didn’t try to go toe to toe with the Beifongs plus a pissed off airbender tonight, so there’s that.”

I was trying to pull myself together, this I do promise, Progeny. But I am deeply sorry to report that I am wholly unable to keep my wits about me when I am involved in dalliances, as it were. I had, at that point, managed to turn myself around, despite my dressing gown being caught under Qi’s thigh and the belt of it trying to dig into me in a most painful way. “Mako! I...well. I suppose this looks...er…” Alas! My spectacles had been shoved up my forehead and I hurriedly tried to place them back where they belonged. “Oh dear, I seem to have misplaced one of my slippers.”

Mako reached down and pried up Qi’s leg, freeing my dressing gown, before glaring down at the both of us, fists on his hips. I hope you do not think me too much a coward to say that I was glad the night was dimly lit and I could not see his face because I was quailing a little inside to think of how angry he most likely was.

I heard rather than saw him take in a deep breath. “So how long has this been going on?” I could tell by his voice that he was extremely displeased.

Qi leaned back, all insouciance, to shrug again. “What, me kissing Wu? About five minutes, give or take.”

I scooted on to the bench entirely and took off my spectacles, trying to polish them on my dressing gown. “Mako, I’m not...er...ah...” I had no idea what to say! What does one say when one’s husband catches one kissing someone else! I haven’t the foggiest! I do not have a wide experience of these things! Certainly none of the dashing heroes in any of my novels have ever had to clean their spectacles and try to cast their bare foot around looking for their house slipper whilst defending their honor, my goodness!

“Are you trying to piss me off, here?” Mako’s fingers flew up to pinch the bridge of his nose. I thought at first he meant me but it was clear he was referring to Qi. “You know damn well how easy it is to get him all worked up.”

“I beg your pardon! I am not easy to get worked up!” Well, really! What a thing to say! They both ignored me, however. Which, may I add, is not a feeling I happen to appreciate.

Qi snorted. “No one’s ever had to try to piss you off. You do just fine on your own.”

“Qi!” I hissed. Honestly! What on earth had come over Qi! All evening Qi had been acting so oddly!

Mako’s breathing was getting louder by the second. “You know what? I think maybe we should all just go inside and go to bed.”

“Well now, that’s a very sensible idea,” I exclaimed, standing up. Where was that dratted slipper!

Qi laughed, however, low and rather dangerous. “You go ahead. We didn’t need you earlier, reckon we don’t need you now.”

“Knock it the fuck off,” Mako’s voice was getting louder. “I don’t know what your problem is, but I’ve already had Ikki chewing me a new one and I don’t need you trying to get in on it.”

It was Qi’s turn to stand up, slowly, arms crossing over Qi’s chest. Both Qi and Mako were still in their swimming suits, a far cry from my pajamas and dressing gown, despite their slight disarray. “Not my problem,” Qi said. And then leaned into Mako, very close. “But I’d like to get back to kissing your husband, so run along, pretty boy.”

“Qi! Mako! This is the most ludicrous thing I have ever seen! What is wrong with the both of you!” I tsked. “This kind of behavior, honestly! Suppose you woke up the children!” I may have well not even bothered; clearly they were not listening to me.

“I think I’ll take my husband,” Mako practically snarled the word, “and go on into bed. Our bed.” He had his face right into Qi’s. Qi smiled, very slowly.

“I was already doin’ this in the morning, while you were getting your beauty sleep,” Qi said, and then brought one finger up to scratch it down along Mako’s jaw before chucking him under his chin. “Some of us can manage before tea.”

I opened my mouth to say something - anything! - to alleviate the tension but I was too late. Mako’s arm cocked back and suddenly his fist was shooting forward, catching Qi high up on Qi’s cheekbone. Qi grunted and then, inexplicably grinned; I gasped as Mako made a strangled noise and stumbled backwards as Qi’s foot connected with his knee.

“Stop it right this very instant!” I insisted, but it was too late. The two of them were going at it, trading punches as well as kicks, shoving at each other. “If you damage my lovely garden I swear I won’t speak to either of you for a month,” I snapped, stamping my bare foot onto the ground. Mako went crashing into one of the deck chairs and I heard a loud crack as one of the legs collapsed, spilling Mako to his knees. Qi took advantage of this to slam Qi’s foot into Mako’s well-shaped derrière.

“You little fucker!” Mako grunted and Qi actually laughed, a sound that was incongruously full of glee.

“You mean husband kisser,” Qi danced out of the way of a punch and caught Mako in the ribs with a spinning kick.

Now Progeny, this is my private diary; because of this I do attempt to be truthful as much as I possibly can. And truthfully speaking, I of course wished the both of them to cease and desist their preposterous fisticuffs. Qi had already decapitated what had been a delightfully blooming bush; my squawk of outrage had seemingly not registered. Very frustrating, of course! Damage to my flowers and a sacrifice of a perfectly good patio chair! Honestly!

However, I have a confession to make. I was also secretly thrilled. I am sorry, Progeny. It does not present your great-grandfather in the best light to admit this. Nevertheless, there it is. It is not everyday that one has two such virile people bashing each other over a few stolen kisses with one, after all! It was such a good fight that I was trying to keep track of what all they were doing; a fight scene would do quite nicely in the novel I am currently writing, as it happens.

Before you worry too much, let me assure you that they were not fighting to the death or anything remotely like that. Mako was not bending; Qi’s knives (which Qi must have had secreted somewhere under Qi’s swimming clothes, the question of where said knives could be led to some rather astonishing speculation on my part which I am almost certain cannot _possibly_ be true) were not making an appearance, either. If they had really wished to harm each other they most certainly could have.

Mako had just delivered a kick to Qi’s ribcage which sent Qi flying across the path when suddenly the earth heaved up and both of them were swallowed in dirt up to the neck.

“What in the shiteating wolfbatfucking bentdick cumdribbling Vaatu is going on out here?”

Ah. Lin had arrived. Thank goodness Meili was nowhere to be seen, is all I have to say about it.

“They are having a minor bout of pugilism,” I replied. Ah! Lin’s earthquake had revealed my missing slipper. I rescued it.

“That’s the second fucking time I’ve been woken up tonight,” Lin grumped. She turned her beady gaze upon me. “Is this over you? I swear I will bury you if it is.”

I took several steps back. I am not sure what I thought I was accomplishing with it; it isn’t like she couldn’t bend across the Island for me if she had the notion.

You damn fools,” she snorted, shaking her head. “I ought to leave you out here until morning. Are your teeth all intact?”

Both Mako and Qi felt around their mouths with their tongues. “I yosh un a widdle woosh ut I hink ish ohway,” Mako mumbled.

“Didn’t let him get me in the mouth,” Qi replied. “I think he might have done for one of my ribs, though.”

Lin stared at the both of them in disgust. “Well, I’m not about to go and fetch Kya at this time of night over that. She can come over in the morning at a civilized hour.” She moved her arms and the dirt flattened itself back into my garden. Qi staggered and fell over. Mako winced as he hobbled over to pick Qi up, grunting as he bent down.

“Unbelievable. You shitheads,” Lin said and glared over at me.  I threw my hands up in self-defense.

“I wasn’t fighting!”

She just snorted again and went over to help Mako sling Qi between the two of them.

“Oh, Qi!” I wrung my hands. “Are you badly hurt?” I flitted along behind them. Qi merely groaned as Mako and Lin practically dragged Qi up the stairs. Lin guided us into the kitchen, where LoLo was grinning, pouring tea. He whistled.

“Oh, that’s going to be a hell of a shiner, my boy.” He pointed Mako into a chair. “Let me get some ice for that.” Mako turned his head and I saw the unmistakable hue of a black eye. My hands flew up to my mouth.

“Mako!”

He smiled at me, though, grimacing just slightly through the bruise covering most of his left jaw. He crooked a finger and I came closer. Qi gasped, and I turned to see Lin gently touching along Qi’s ribs. “Let me take a look,” she said, and she helped Qi carefully peel up the top of Qi’s swimming suit. A deep contusion was spread across Qi’s ribcage, already purpling. “Hmmm. Maybe I should send someone for Kya.” Lin frowned. “LoLo, come and tell me what you think.”

LoLo handed Mako the ice he’d gotten from the icebox, wrapped in a clean dishcloth; Mako put it up to his eye, grunting. LoLo crouched down to examine Qi’s rib. His hands brushed over it tenderly and Qi let out a strangled yip, sweat pouring down Qi’s face. “Yeah, I vote cracked. Did you have to kick Qi quite so hard?” He gave Mako a look; Mako looked quite distressed.

“Init mean ooh,” Mako mumbled.

Qi attempted a smile but it fell short. “I started it.” Qi’s eyes closed.

“Shih,” Mako said, his diction mushy as his jaw continued to swell. “Sohhy, sohhy.”

“Aw, you had a party and nobody invited me,” Wei said, walking into the kitchen. His grin faded as he took a look at Qi. “Hey, that looks bad.”

“You think you can carry Qi upstairs?” Lin was frowning. “I’m going to go and fetch Kya. I wouldn’t do it otherwise, but that looks pretty close to the lungs. I’d rather not risk it.”

“Jush shake Shi to ouh woom.” Wei evidently followed what Mako said, because he nodded and then carefully gathered Qi into his arms. Qi let out a wretched noise; Wei leaned down and kissed Qi’s forehead.

“Hang in there, sweetheart, I got you,” he said, and walked slowly out of the kitchen, Mako alongside, still holding the ice to his face.

“I’ll be right back,” Lin said to LoLo, and he nodded and kissed her on her cheek.

I gaped at her. “Surely you aren’t going to go in _that_ ,” I gestured wildly at that ancient bathrobe of hers.

“Wu, there are about a thousand fucks I don’t give about walking over there in my robe. Now go upstairs and help your husband get undressed.” She sighed. “Let me guess. This was over you, wasn’t it?”

I frowned. “I suppose.” I wrapped my arms around my torso. “I didn’t instigate it if that’s what you are implying.”

LoLo surprised me by putting his hand to the back of my neck. “If I know our Qi, a lot of it was about last night. Killing a man isn't easy, you know. Mako, too. A father wants to feel like he can protect his own children. Both of them needed to get it out of their systems. They'll feel better about it in the morning.”

Lin just threw up a hand before walking out of the kitchen, shaking her head.

LoLo went and poured a cup of tea and handed it to me. “It’s herbal, drink up.” He leaned back up against the kitchen counter to contemplate me. “Sometimes warriors, they need to let off a little steam. Happens all the time aboard ship.” He chuckled. “Been in my share of fights myself.” He picked up his own tea cup. “Spirits know that good woman of mine needs to let loose every once in awhile. Usually it ends up in the bedroom, it’s just the way of it.” That got me a wink before his expression sobered. “Listen now. I’m nothing more than an old sea dog, but Qi is close to my heart and I know how Qi feels about you. The three of you talk it through, eh? Mako and Qi, they’re people of action, not of talk. Talking’s where you come in. If this thing is going to work out, they’re going to need you to guide it along, you follow?”

I frowned. “I think we’re in trouble if we’re relying on me to guide anything.”

He just smiled at me though, and put down his cup to take me into a firm hug, which both surprised and delighted me. “Wu, my boy, any father would be proud to have you as his son. You hear me? I’ve got faith in you. You’ll manage, I know. Now finish that tea and go on upstairs. I think Qi would have made it until morning but Lin would have stayed awake all night fussing if I hadn’t let her go fetch Kya.” He laughed again. “Sometimes it’s all about not fighting, you know? It’s knowing when to let it go and when to actually step in.” He stepped back and nodded for me to drink my tea. “When I was younger? Oh, everything was a fight with me, it’s why neither of my marriages took. Now our Mako, he’s a man who battles everything, and Qi’s not much better. You’re cleverer than that. Make sure the both of them know how important they are to you. No need for any jealousy, and Mako, he tends that way. Qi...well. Qi’s been desperate for you for so long, Qi’s not going to want to let go of anything you give Qi. You need to keep it balanced.” He patted me on my shoulder. “You’re a diplomat, my boy. Born and raised. Remember that when it comes to the two of them and you should do just fine.” He took the cup from me. “Alright now, enough chatter. You go on and scoot upstairs to them, Kya will be here soon.” Impulsively I leaned in to kiss him on his cheek; he chuckled and returned it before giving me a little pat on my behind to send me on my way, the same that I have done myself with the children. I was smiling when I left the kitchen to head up the stairs.

I made my way to our bedroom and convinced Wei that the room was too small to hold him; he grumbled, but went back to bed. I managed to get Mako’s swimming trunks off of him and got him into a clean pair of sleeping trousers; I was quite unsure when it came to Qi, however. I could not see how we would manage it without hurting Qi further. As it was Qi was laying on our bed, pale and sweating, breathing shallowly so as not to hurt the rib further. Mako said there was nothing for it and Qi told us just to do it and get it over with. So Mako and I, as carefully as we could, stripped the singlet off of Qi. It was horrible, Progeny; we were clearly hurting Qi while we were doing it. Mako was very upset and I was no better; I was fighting off tears by the end. Mako went and fetched a pair of sleeping trousers and helped Qi wriggle out of Qi’s trunks and into them, covering Qi up gently with a blanket when he was finished. I was strangely shy about Qi being naked. I have never seen Qi when Qi is not well covered! Silly of me, really, it's not like I haven't seen others nude. I could feel my face heating up as we worked together, however. I suppose it came down to my actually touching Qi like that. Mako took that part in stride, of course. Mako has a much wider experience than I do with that sort of thing.

Kya arrived with Lin and promptly banished her from the room; I thought she might do the same for me, but that wasn’t the case. She not only allowed me to stay but also required my assistance. She was kind, as she usually is, and very professional. She confirmed that Qi did have a small fracture as well as some substantial bruising to Qi’s ribs; she soothed at it with her glowing water and then asked me to hold Qi up against my shoulder while she bandaged Qi’s entire torso. “I wanted to get close to you, but this wasn’t the plan,” Qi whispered into my ear, and I kissed Qi’s temple before Kya warned me to keep Qi still. After she’d bandaged Qi up and checked for other wounds - nothing of real consequence, she assured me, just a good amount of bangs and bruises - she checked Mako’s mouth and made sure his loose tooth was going to stay in its socket before working a little with his eye. There was a quiet tap at the door; it was LoLo, who had brewed the leaves Kya had brought with her. Both Mako and Qi were given the tea, a painkiller and a soporific, I was informed. I left them laying on the bed and walked Kya back to Izumi’s house. In my dressing gown, no less! Well, if Lin could do it in that atrocity she refers to as a robe, then I supposed I could manage as well. She told me that she’d be by in the morning to check on them and that they were both to take it easy the next day, no exceptions.

It was as I walking back to our cottage that I realized I was completely alone.

I am almost never alone, Progeny. Oh, I might be alone in my study, of course, but there is always someone else in the house with me, seeing to my well-being and safety. I am never alone outside of the house; even when I am having meetings with my banker or with the Spring Festival planning committee Qi is waiting outside the door for me, knives in place, as always. This is how it has always been for me, ever since I can remember. The Dai Li when I was a boy and then bodyguards, including Mako and Yumi; once I moved in with Mako and Qi came along then it was usually Qi who was my shadow. It was never discussed, but if for some reason Mako or Qi were not available then Lin stepped in. Once, when Qi was ill and Mako and Lin were both busy with a particularly thorny case, Wei showed up to drive me about for a few days, joking outrageously and charming the members of my committee. At the time I had not really thought about it; after all, I do not drive. Upon further reflection, however, it seems obvious that either Mako or Qi prevailed upon him to protect me.

The last time I had been truly alone was when I had gone to a party and Mako had not shown up; I had given Qi the night off and got a ride home with another partygoer, one who had mistaken the situation and who had forcibly kissed me before I jumped out of his car. I had wandered about that night, furious and distraught, before going to a bar and having a drink and taking a cab home. Mako had been angrier that night than I have ever seen him before or since; at the time I was angry in return but I had come, over time, to see how absolutely frantic with terror he must have been, not knowing where I was or what was happening to me. Spirits know he had reason, more than your average spouse would, certainly.

It’s a thing that most people do not think about, I am sure. To be able to walk a few minutes down a street on a safe little Island in the middle of the night, carefree. To put one’s hands into one’s pockets and whistle a little tune; quietly so as not to wake anyone, but something jaunty to reflect one’s enjoyment of the fresh sea air and the soft tropical heat. The stars were visible in all their glory; the only light was one streetlamp and the pale glow coming from a window of the cottage next to ours. The sound of the surf was its own kind of music; wild and rhythmic, a muted roar and the faint hissing as the seafoam clutched at the sand before being dragged back out to become part of the waves again. It was so beautiful that my throat was aching with it.

“What the hell were you thinking? Kya’s capable of walking herself, you know.” I turned to face Lin, tears streaming down my face. She winced. “Oh, for the love of Raava, they’re fine, Wu.”

I shook my head. “It’s not that. It’s…” I looked around me, at a rare loss for words. “It’s…”

“What?” she asked, starting to scowl. “What is it?” Her voice sharpened. “Did something happen?”

I gestured around myself. “I am never alone,” I said, not expecting her to understand, but her eyes softened and she put an arm around my shoulder. We are of a height, the two of us. Someday, I know, she will begin to stoop with age, but I prefer not to think of these things, Progeny. I cannot bear to think of my life without her. I simply can’t.

She sighed, in that long-suffering way that only Lin Beifong can manage. “It’s not safe for you to be alone.”

“I know,” I replied, and the misery in my voice was not feigned. She didn’t say anything; what was there to say? I am who I am, and I will always be a target. The reasons for it may have changed over the course of my life, but the fact remains that there will always be people out there that will wish ill upon me for nothing more than my name itself. We walked slowly back down the street; she in her tattered old robe, me in my brocade dressing gown over my silk pajamas.

“I’ve had this robe for over forty years,” she said, obviously reading my mind. “Believe it or not.”

“I believe it,” I sniffed. She shot me a look before turning her gaze towards the ocean.

“My mother gave it to me for my birthday about...well, let’s see, that was the spring before she sent Su away, so that’s been forty-four years now. The joke of it was that she went to Han’s department store - before your time, it closed down about twenty years back - and told them she needed to get a birthday gift for her daughter. Su had taken the robe I’d had at the time and cut it up for some dance costume or something, I can’t even really remember, although I do remember we’d torn up half the damn ballroom fighting over it. The clerk waiting on her asked my mother what color she wanted and my mother thought that was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. ‘The color of my asshole,’ she’d told him, and I suppose at that point he’d realized that she was blind. Or maybe not, who knows.” Lin was smiling a little as she spoke, her arm still around around my shoulder, the light breeze playing with the soft curls around her face. “My mother was so independent, so good at navigating a sighted world that a lot of people either forgot or never figured out in the first place that she couldn’t see. So he brought her out a selection and she felt them all very carefully, and this was the softest one, so it’s the one she picked. She wanted me to have the one that was the most comfortable, you know? He wrapped it for her and she gave it to me when we celebrated my birthday a week or so later. I pulled it out and while it was incredibly soft, it was this hideous pinkish-brown color. Just awful. Su and I stared at it, we had no idea what to say. My mother leaned forward and said, ‘So what color is it, anyhow?’ and Su said, ‘I think it’s the color of an asshole,’ and my mother laughed so hard she damn near wet herself.” Lin chuckled at the memory, and I had to laugh as well. “I know it’s a damn ugly old thing, but it’s all I have left of a time when the three of us were actually getting along and were happy.” Her arm tightened a bit around my shoulder.

“I take back everything I have ever said about it,” I replied, sniffling a little. “It’s obviously the most beautiful robe in the world.”

“You’re a sentimental asshole yourself, you know that? You’re the one who should be wearing this ugly piece of shit, not me,” she said, and I knew, in her own way, she was telling me that she loved me.

We took our time walking the short distance back, neither of us saying anything, her arm around my shoulder and my arm around her waist. I dreamed, all during my youth, of the kind of mother my own mother would have been to me if she had lived: kind, gentle, sweet, openly loving. Lin is none of those things; she’s not even close. She’s sharp-witted and foul-mouthed and tends towards surliness; she’s also one of the best people I know. I do love her, Progeny. I love her so very much.

She took me as far as my bedroom door before patting me and nodding a goodnight at me. I opened the door as quietly as I could and crept in. Someone - Mako, I am guessing - had left the bathroom light burning.

I would warrant it was also Mako who had carefully placed Qi so Qi wouldn’t move about in the night and hurt those ribs. There Qi lay, on Qi’s back, nested gently within a cocoon of pillows, sound asleep. Mako lay to the one side, his body curved around protectively, not even bothering with a blanket. Mako’s scarred left hand had breached the cushioned fortress, however; his fingers were entwined with Qi’s, his wedding ring a darker smudge in the dim room. I hung up my dressing gown before switching off the light and easing myself carefully and gently onto Qi’s other side. Neither one of them stirred; Kya’s tea, no doubt. I closed my eyes before tentatively reaching out to brush Qi’s thigh, making sure Qi was actually there. Foolish of me, I suppose, but Qi was not a familiar presence yet in our bed. I ghosted my hand over Qi’s body until I found the hand grasping Mako’s, laying my own hand atop theirs. _Naoki will be happy her New Year’s wish came true,_ I thought, and finally satisfied that all was well, I welcomed the reassuring embrace of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for following along! The story of the ficlet that went overboard! Once again I want to thank lovealg for the wonderful, wonderful prompt.


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